Originally Posted by bradthepilot

how many years do you have building complex software systems? Integrating that with hardware? Doing a security analysis including pen testing? Bluntly, i have way more experience in all those fields than you do, and i can promise you that making the computer "figure it out" is the easiest part of all that.

Proving that it isn't susceptible to black-hat actors is pretty darn hard. Proving it works in a virtually unlimited set of scenarios is harder still. And if there is any "artificial intelligence" involved, proving its functionality approaches the impossible.

In technology, it's often the validation ("testing") rather than the development that tends to drive costs for large scale projects, so this will be an extremely expensive undertaking. Has there been a cost vs. Benefit analysis done to show that such an undertaking is worthwhile?

These all come together to form a pretty complex system. Taking just a thin slice of functionality, you say that the aircraft could be controlled directly from the soc. How are they authenticated (i.e. How does the a/c know it isn't connected to an imposter soc)? How redundant is the soc? Where are they (you weren't thinking it was just a single location, were you?) located? How do they talk to each other? What is the failover protocol? How is a compromised soc detected and locked out? What is the data communications protocol and how much bandwidth will be required?

If you think this all happens quickly, i refer you to ads-b, which is a much simpler system that took decades to materialize. So no, the "head in the sand" folks as you call them, are correct. I have no doubt that such a system will eventually happen, but there is nothing to indicate that it will happen before any current pt. 121 pilot retires.

Originally Posted by ReadOnly7

It only takes one, and I’ve certainly encountered more than one in the “perfect” system we have here in the US.

Originally Posted by pangolin

You haven’t flown much in the northeast then.

Originally Posted by pangolin

There is more. A lot more. I have issues with the whole text stuff to the airplane path we are on. I build situation awareness listening to the radio. Maybe comes from teaching in SoCal airspace pre tcas. At any rate I can “foresee” issues and problems by listening. I’ve told FO’s This or that’s going to happen. Stay up here a bit. We are following a heavy that they didn’t tell us about etc etc. This ability is lost on automation.

Originally Posted by Setopbug

My airplane's crosswind limit is 25 knots. My limit is 45 knots.

It's going to be decades, and will require a clean sheet aircraft and systems architecture design, and a complete change in how the NAS is run. And you've probably seen how quickly the FAA embraces, procures and refines new technology.

Optical sensors are improving? LOL. The USAF can't deliver a FMC refueler based on existing airframe technology after two decades.

Relax. Your concern should be how you're going to keep from having to spend your life savings on medical care. Nearest, hottest threat, buddy.

Originally Posted by USMCFLYR

Countless false localizer signals?

Not in the US.

Originally Posted by Varsity

Just had one last night.

Originally Posted by Bungalow

Hum....
Of all the aviation accidents you can remember, how many were due to Automation vs Pilot Error ?

Originally Posted by SonicFlyer

Full automation possibly in 50 years, probably in 100 years. But not before then. Programming a plane to fly itself isn't impossible but right now the computers simply can't make decisions with the required reliability.