Freight first as jetmakers study single-pilot airplanes
Once there were 3 on the flight deck. Then the number of flight crew fell to 2 when the Boeing 757 changed the way cockpit were designed in the 1980s. Now, jetmakers are studying what it would take to go down to a single pilot, starting with cargo flights. The motivation is simple: saving airlines tens of billions of dollars a year in pilot salaries and training costs if the change can be rolled out to passenger jets after it is demonstrated safely in the freight business. But with the disappearance of MH370 and a deliberate crash by a Germanwings pilot in the last few years, earning public trust and ensuring safety is key. The issues loom large as single-pilot flying concepts are fleshed out at the Singapore Airshow this week. It would take a "couple of decades" to persuade passengers to take a single-pilot jet, a Boeing VP said. <br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/imagelibrary/news/hot-topics/2018-02-09/general/freight-first-as-jetmakers-study-single-pilot-airplanes
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Freight first as jetmakers study single-pilot airplanes
Once there were 3 on the flight deck. Then the number of flight crew fell to 2 when the Boeing 757 changed the way cockpit were designed in the 1980s. Now, jetmakers are studying what it would take to go down to a single pilot, starting with cargo flights. The motivation is simple: saving airlines tens of billions of dollars a year in pilot salaries and training costs if the change can be rolled out to passenger jets after it is demonstrated safely in the freight business. But with the disappearance of MH370 and a deliberate crash by a Germanwings pilot in the last few years, earning public trust and ensuring safety is key. The issues loom large as single-pilot flying concepts are fleshed out at the Singapore Airshow this week. It would take a "couple of decades" to persuade passengers to take a single-pilot jet, a Boeing VP said. <br/>
