4 ms·

> But if the human hasn't actually flown in months or years the'll likely be kind of rusty. Cruising at altitude is not that hard. I'd be far more concerned i

> But if the human hasn't actually flown in months or years the'll likely be kind of rusty. Cruising at altitude is not that hard. I'd be far more concerned if they were interfering with the various Instrument Landing Systems during inclement weather. > Every, say hour you do it manually buys you a few hours of autopilot. Most pilots already hand-fly in clear weather during landing and takeoff by default; somewhat for the reasons you suggest, but it's also the safer as it actively maintains pilot situational awareness. You're generally only going to use the A/P during cruise, departure and approach or during instrument flight conditions.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
neurotech1 10y ago
> Cruising at altitude is not that hard. Not in RVSM airspace above FL290 (29,000 ft). In RVSM [0] airspace its required to have a functioning autopilot coupled to an altimeter of a certified accuracy (+- 65 feet) Most pilots couldn't fly the required accuracy, that high up, for any length of time, with manual hand-flying. Even in a FBW airliner, it would be hard. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduced_vertical_separation_minima https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduced_vertical_separation_mi...
- tinix 10y ago
  The idea for FL290-FL410 is more to have a designated "highway" of sorts, where all craft are flying within the same system. There is no requirement for auto-pilot above FL410, for example... There are plenty of jets that can easily get that high, it's more about aerodynamics and engineering than pilot skill. http://www.flyingmag.com/whats-41000-feet http://www.flyingmag.com/whats-41000-feet
tropo 10y ago
No, "Cruising at altitude is not that hard." isn't correct. That is the coffin corner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin_corner_(aerodynamics) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin_corner_(aerodynamics) Being near the coffin corner is often desirable for performance reasons, but it sure isn't easy.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

neurotech1 10y ago

> Cruising at altitude is not that hard. Not in RVSM airspace above FL290 (29,000 ft). In RVSM [0] airspace its required to have a functioning autopilot coupled to an altimeter of a certified accuracy (+- 65 feet) Most pilots couldn't fly the required accuracy, that high up, for any length of time, with manual hand-flying. Even in a FBW airliner, it would be hard. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduced_vertical_separation_minima https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduced_vertical_separation_mi...

tinix 10y ago
The idea for FL290-FL410 is more to have a designated "highway" of sorts, where all craft are flying within the same system. There is no requirement for auto-pilot above FL410, for example... There are plenty of jets that can easily get that high, it's more about aerodynamics and engineering than pilot skill. http://www.flyingmag.com/whats-41000-feet http://www.flyingmag.com/whats-41000-feet

tropo 10y ago

No, "Cruising at altitude is not that hard." isn't correct. That is the coffin corner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin_corner_(aerodynamics) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin_corner_(aerodynamics) Being near the coffin corner is often desirable for performance reasons, but it sure isn't easy.