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Maybe one day we'll have pilots reserved for emergencies, but only on the ground like drone operators. Hotswapping between flights that need corrections as prob
by qppo 6y ago
Maybe one day we'll have pilots reserved for emergencies, but only on the ground like drone operators. Hotswapping between flights that need corrections as problems occur.
Obviously not going to happen tomorrow and needs more robust communications infrastructure over the deadzones of the planet but it's fun to imagine. I trust machines more than people, unless they're made by Boeing.
- pak9rabid 6y agoI would imagine something like Starlink could help with the deadzone issue?
- qppo 6y agoWe already have satellite communications for media and voice, but iirc they have fairly limited bandwidth constraints. I think figuring out a way to get the flight recorder data to operators in realtime would be the first problem to solve, and I don't think it's been done yet for commercial flights. There was a startup around like 5-6 years ago (gone now, can't find any info on them, their name was "Flamingo" something or other) that had a proof of concept solution but they burned out quickly.
- phantom784 6y agoLatency is probably the bigger issue for aircraft, but Starlink could help there as well.
- koatuok 6y agoCan Starlink work with a vehicle that is in motion? And at 500 mph? I had assumed that it only worked with a stationary transceiver.
- elcritch 6y agoPerhaps not initially, but IIRC, they use "digital" antenna so it should be upgradable to track in real-time. Perhaps even by an OTA update.
- Skunkleton 6y agoThere is nothing stopping the use of a traditional auto tracking antenna either.
- elcritch 6y agoExcept for accuracy, mechanical wear, price, and size.
- Skunkleton 6y agoPrice is in five figures, and the others are not real problems. How do you think datalinks on military aircraft work?
- sacred_numbers 6y agoYes, it can, although I can't be sure it will work at 500 mph. They tested it with a C-12, which has a top speed of 338 mph, and were able to transfer data at 610 Mbps. Source: https://spacenews.com/spacex-plans-to-start-offering-starlink-broadband-services-in-2020/ https://spacenews.com/spacex-plans-to-start-offering-starlin...
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- jccooper 6y agoYes. The USAF has already tested it successfully on several aircraft. A Starlink receiver always has the satellite(s) in fairly fast motion, and phased array antennas can "move" quite quickly, so it's possible that there's no particular challenge to an aircraft scenario. Then again, the basic rooftop unit may make some simplifying assumptions and aircraft would require better hardware and/or software, but that's not a big problem as they can handle a higher price point.
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- grishka 6y agoImagine someone piloting a plane with at least several hundreds of milliseconds of lag.
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- maxerickson 6y agoWhat do you think is better about people made by Boeing?
- dzhiurgis 6y agoIf ever. Taxi ride costs $50 per hour while flight costs $50k per hour. Getting rid of driver in a taxi saves 50%, while in plane saves 1%. There are a lot more taxi drivers around world (although I’d guess they generate similar or just slightly higher value).
- seanmcdirmid 6y agoAutomation can (eventually) significantly reduce pilot error; it also has a more reliable way of fixing corrects and avoiding regressions. Automation isn't just about the cost of the person flying the plane, at some point in the development curve it is just a better choice (e.g. why factory robots can do better work than manual assembly workers).
- dzhiurgis 6y agoI agree with that. What would be interesting to read is how is data collected right now? Is it compared between automation and manual operation. Who is actually doing data crunching - airlines, Airbus or avionics supplier? From what I've read it seems that the "leader" Tesla's fleet learning is largely a myth.
- hawaiianbrah 6y agoI’d love to read more about Tesla’s fleet learning being a myth
- seanmcdirmid 6y agoThe FAA is really serious about making sure accidents don’t happen for the same reason twice. That involves changes to hardware as well as pilot training, they crunch the data for the USA, similar authorities do it for other countries as well.
- rimliu 6y agoUnless you get Boeing 737 MAX where pilots fight the automation and lose.
- 6y ago