[Bobby777]

Technology Removes Need for Human Pilots

the landscape is changing but I think it will be quite awhile before we don't have humans in the sky ... I'd hate to be setting on a carrier depending upon drones (only) to protect my battle group ... but hey, that's me ...

[Bobby777]

I'll bet you might have a thing or two to say ... 8)

[ServesURight]

No technology is smarter than the human brain.

[pabianice]

Impressive. Reuters Islamic News (RIN) is precisely ten years behind the rest of the news business.

http://www.jedonline.com

http://www.navlog.org.

[Young Werther]

It was reported that the Navy has landed an F-18 on an aircraft carrier using a GPS autoland system.

The Kettering Aerial Torpedo, nicknamed the "Bug", was invented by Charles F. Kettering of Dayton. It was developed and built by Dayton-Wright Airplane Company in 1918 for the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

The unmanned Bug took off from a dolly which ran along a track. It was stabilized on course toward its target by a system of internal pre-set vacuum pneumatic and electrical controls. After a predetermined length of time, a control closed an electrical circuit which shut off the engine. The wings were then released, causing the Bug to plunge to earth where its 180 pounds of explosive detonated on impact.

Although initial testing was successful, World War I ended before the Bug could enter combat. Fewer than 50 Bugs had been completed at the time of the Armistice. After the war, the Air Service conducted additional tests on the weapon, but scarcity of funds in the 1920s halted further development. The full-size reproduction of the Bug was built by Museum personnel. It was placed on display in 1964

[dljordan]

I remember in the 60's reading a Popular Mechanic's magazine that said we were all going to be flying to work in out own personal aircars by now. Right.

[Malsua]

Star Trek accurately predicts the future ;)

Anyone remember the episode "A TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON"?

Here's a synopsis.

ST:TOS Episode 23

Kirk learns that the war is fought by computer simulations instead of real weapons, and the people calculated as casualties voluntarily report to disintigration chambers to die, but the planets' culture and infrastructure survive. Since the Enterprise is in orbit, it becomes a target in the virtual war, and in the latest attack, the ship is listed destroyed by a tricobalt satellite explosion, and everyone on the Enterprise is ordered to beam down to the planet to be killed.

Coming to a battlefield near you! Heh.

[jigsaw]

Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles.

'scuse me but when the heck did Unmanned Aerial Vehicles become Uninhabited?

Such PC baloney.

[expatpat]

Reminds me of a joke about automated airliners of the future:

Their cockpits will have two occupants -- a pilot and a dog. The pilot's job is to feed the dog; the dog's job is to bite the pilot if he touches anything.

[SamAdams76]

The future has already arrived.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Computer-controlled aircraft? I hope it's not Windows-based. The thing will lock up and kill you.

[GingisK]

Technology Removes Need for Human Pilots

The real beauty is that it also removes the need for anyone to fly. Why, can can go anywhere and do anything from our own livingroom.

Not only that, technology has even made it unnecessary, or perhaps impossible for anyone to hold a job, including pilots someday.

Yes, technology has done so much for our lives. Without technology, why, we could even have ... a life?

[Archangelsk]

Ping.

[Modernman]

"Much to the chagrin of fighter pilots in the Pentagon (news - web sites), UAVs are here to stay,"

The Air Force seems to have the same romantic view of manned fighters as the world's navies had of battleships before WWII. Sure, manned jetfighters are reaching the pinnacle of their development, but the future of combat aviation is probably going to involve cheap UAVs flown by kids who played a lot of X-Box or PS2 growing up.

[Revolting cat!]

Dog is my co-pilot!

[The_Media_never_lie]

Technology Removes Need for Human Pilots

Maybe so, but can a computer service the stewardesses? I think not.

[lodwick]

See 9/11 for an interactive demo of this technology.

[JETDRVR]

Heres a question. In todays environment{post accident} the Lawyers have a sure fire out...... PILOT ERROR.
Who are they going to crucify in a future of civi UAVs?

[xm177e2]

Considering that any plane designed to carry people would not really benefit much in terms of weight from having a computer pilot it instead of a human, I think human pilots will be around for a while. Add to that the comfort factor that people have when they fly commercially and know a skilled human being is piloting their craft, and it is clear we will have human pilots for a long time to come (more and more of the traffic will be automated, but humans will stick around).

[Fester Chugabrew]

If it's cheap, invisible to radar, deadly quick and accurate WRT delivery, I can see this thing as a terrific supplement to manned fighters. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll have a few DRS (Death Ray Satellite) units up there to *ZOT* certain undesirables, all progammed by fellas with compassion and vision.

[Nick Danger]