A Pilotless Future? Two New "Advances"Continue The Movement

Two recent announcements underscore the move to reduce the number of pilots on the flight deck, for different reasons. With self-driving cars making news and increasing layers of automation in avionics (including Garmin's amazing Autoland system), it almost seems inevitable that at least some operations will move from two pilots to one, and others from one pilot to none. After all, not many balked at eliminating third-crewmember flight engineers in 1960s' airliners as engine controls and instrumentation were simplified.

To date, there has not been a concrete plan to reduce airline-category aircraft to single-pilot status, but Sikorsky and FedEx are reportedly working on a program in Connecticut to test single-pilot technology on an ATR 42 regional turboprop in cargo configuration. While it might be comforting to the traveling public that the tests are so far only targeting a cargo version, the autonomous technology that would make such operations possible does not know whether it's pallets or passengers in the back.

Sikorsky's Matrix technology is likely at the heart of this program, and the company is also working with Erickson Helicopter to develop a pilot-optional version of the Air Crane S64F+, which could be flying in 2024. The initial mission would be aerial firefighting, though military applications are also envisioned.

Kaman Aerospace's K-Max utility helicopter, with its intriguing intermeshing rotor system, has already flown in combat without pilots following a joint development program with the U.S. Marine Corps. Pilotless Marine K-Maxes delivered tons of supplies to front-line forces during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan between 2011 and 2013, replacing surface convoy traffic and likely saving lives that would have been lost to roadside IEDs. Two USMC K-Maxes are currently being upgraded with enhanced autonomous technology under a U.S. Navy contract.

Pilotless aircraft are best suited to operations under the "three Ds" categories: Dangerous, (see above), Dirty (such as overflying toxic sites) or Dull (ie: pipeline patrol). But reducing passenger-carrying operations from two to one pilot is another story. The recent Boeing 777 engine failure underscored the critical value of two pilots, side-by-side, working together and communicating vital information instantaneously with what are often nonverbal cues---gestures, nods, tone of voice, and body language.

Could those so-far human functions be replaced by machines at some point? While the passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 328 are thankful they had human pilots aboard, development of autonomous flight technologies continue.

Samantha ThomasWriter