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One significant difference between Autopilot in Teslas and autopilots in airplanes is that in an airplane you typically have to prove that you can use the autop
by GuB-42 4y ago
One significant difference between Autopilot in Teslas and autopilots in airplanes is that in an airplane you typically have to prove that you can use the autopilot correctly in order to be allowed to fly that plane.
Another difference is that piloting a boat or a plane is usually much less dependent on quick reactions than when you are driving a car. The skies and seas are much more open, with much less traffic than on the road. On a well trimmed plane, I could probably sleep for 10 minutes and there is a good chance nothing will happen. Obviously, it is excessively dangerous, but I am not almost guaranteed to crash as I would be on a car. Flying or sailing is more about precision and planning than it is about reacting.
- medion 4y agoHaving crossed oceans on autopilot, I’ve had three very, very near misses - so even in an environment which is virtually an uninhabited desert in comparison to a road, the risk in not maintaining appropriate and proactive watch is real.
- throw827474737 4y agoCurious, what near missed?
- nsxwolf 4y ago"Near miss?! It's a near hit! A collision is a near miss! 'Oh what a shame, they nearly missed'" - George Carlin
- FpUser 4y ago>"George Carlin" - never get tired listening to the guy. He is just amazing.
- medion 4y agoTanker bound for Panama from Hong Kong, not keeping watch. Woke up to engines and lights. Sailing boat off American Samoa maintaining watch, but watch crew unable to change course (we did). Near miss with unidentified floating object.
- nneonneo 4y agoPlus, if something bad does happen in an airplane, the flight crew typically has on the order of minutes to solve or mitigate the problem, vs. mere seconds in a car.
- LeanderK 4y agoThis is a big difference I think. Humans will get distracted but that's not such a problem if you have a reasonable amount of time to get back into control of the situation, but that's not possible in a car.
- judge2020 4y agoObviously the issue with this argument is that people equate "autopilot" to "magically flies the plane for the pilots" thanks to hollywood movies.
- tgsovlerkhgsel 4y agoDoes it nowadays not mostly do that, including following waypoints and being able to execute most or all of the landing?