Self-flying plane in one-year deal with feds

[TailwheelPilot]

I believe it's FedEx that's already doing trials with autonomous C208s and ATRs.

2017 saw a modified Pacific Aerospace 750XL fly.

https://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017- ... 710480.htm

I cannot be bothered to look for it right now, but I saw a video when the news was first reported and I am pretty sure it was of a fully autonomous flight.

[Fly0nTheWall]

Actually though, I wonder how many of these aircraft will crash in the north due to icing before the company goes bankrupt. It's hard enough for a skilled pilot with advanced training/knowledge to keep the wings pointing up between October to May. I guess if you can land a rocket on a barge in the middle of the ocean, they should be able to develop remote ice detection systems. Maybe some of that fancy technology can make it to people movers too

[Red_Comet]

Actually though, I wonder how many of these aircraft will crash in the north due to icing before the company goes bankrupt. It's hard enough for a skilled pilot with advanced training/knowledge to keep the wings pointing up between October to May. I guess if you can land a rocket on a barge in the middle of the ocean, they should be able to develop remote ice detection systems. Maybe some of that fancy technology can make it to people movers too

Exactly. Musk has been predicting self-driving every year for as long as Tesla has been around, and it's still in "Beta". The issue is edge-cases. What happens when this thing collides with a NORDO crop duster or ultralight? TC gets an egg on their face and the tech demos get canned.

I will say this, once they do get self-driving/self-flying working, we're in a whole new world. You can't just automate a huge fraction of the (largely male) workforce with no political/economic consequences. At that point all bets are off, and we're going to have some serious political turbulence.

Don't stress over this pie in the sky I-Robot stuff. If it happens, we're in sci-fi territory, Butlerian Jihads and all.

[all_ramped_up]

Uh, you guys do know that it's already almost done.

https://www.piper.com/blog/taking-safet ... ty-system/

It'a not a big stretch to take this from an "Emergency Only" to a field-to-field system. The damned thing flight plans on the fly, briefs pax, does radio calls and taxis.

So laugh and guffaw at a Challenger II testing now but we're already closer than you think.

[digits_]

Uh, you guys do know that it's already almost done.

https://www.piper.com/blog/taking-safet ... ty-system/

It'a not a big stretch to take this from an "Emergency Only" to a field-to-field system. The damned thing flight plans on the fly, briefs pax, does radio calls and taxis.

So laugh and guffaw at a Challenger II testing now but we're already closer than you think.

I think it will be quite a stretch. Garmin autoland is based on GPS. Do we really want a fleet of aircraft flying around that will crash when GPS goes off line? It's not trivial to find a backup for that. Possible, but likely quite expensive....

[oakmoss1889]

I think it will be quite a stretch. Garmin autoland is based on GPS. Do we really want a fleet of aircraft flying around that will crash when GPS goes off line? It's not trivial to find a backup for that. Possible, but likely quite expensive....

This should cover your concerns

https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/emer ... ight-tests

"ATTOL demonstrated fully autonomous, vision-based taxiing, takeoff and landing using onboard image recognition. Also using an A350-1000 test aircraft, the project concluded with six test flights at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport."

[digits_]

I think it will be quite a stretch. Garmin autoland is based on GPS. Do we really want a fleet of aircraft flying around that will crash when GPS goes off line? It's not trivial to find a backup for that. Possible, but likely quite expensive....

This should cover your concerns

https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/emer ... ight-tests

"ATTOL demonstrated fully autonomous, vision-based taxiing, takeoff and landing using onboard image recognition. Also using an A350-1000 test aircraft, the project concluded with six test flights at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport."

Yes exactly. And it's very likely equipped with INS so it can operate without GPS. All factors that would make it much more feasible in big planes vs super light ones.

[Fly0nTheWall]

Uh, you guys do know that it's already almost done.

https://www.piper.com/blog/taking-safet ... ty-system/

I actually didn't know about that. That's actually pretty cool. I wonder if it just automatically turns on anti-icing systems in the event of pilot incapacitation or if it is actually actively monitoring it somehow?

To be fair, Cat 3 ILS with autoland has existed for a while now. So I don't doubt that it is possible. I doubt it is feasible for operations in northern/remote areas though like they are proposing.

This should cover your concerns

https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/emer ... ight-tests

Also, to add to digits point re GPS/INS, this uses onboard image recognition. Good luck using that in IMC to mins in uncontrolled airspace. How many of you have had TCAS go off on final approach? I know float drivers don't ever fly hard IFR, but if they did Add to that what others have mentioned...deer/moose/wildlife/people walking their dogs on active runways. It's not gonna happen.

[khedrei]

I think you guys are putting way more thought into this than the company has. They're using a Quad City Challenger with a range of 170 NM and a payload of about 300 lbs if there's no pilot. They don't need to worry about communications 400 miles out from the base, because they'll never get even halfway there; I doubt there are any routes in the north that are short enough to be feasible besides maybe YEV-YKD and YEV-YUB, but even then they'll only get a few boxes on board. The whole thing smells like vaporware to get a grant for government money so the CEO can pay himself a fat salary for a few more years. Autonomous flights are coming, but this ain't them.

I’m fully on board with the above statement. Ive been in the circuit with this thing and seen it fly. I also know the person who sold these guys the hangar as well as flown with one of the students working on the project. I wouldn’t trust this thing to deliver a pizza. I’m sure this kind of thing is coming one day, but it’s not from this company. This is small potatoes and a hobby make work project. Our government is too stupid to see what is worth investing in and what isn’t.

[goldeneagle]

Exactly. Musk has been predicting self-driving every year for as long as Tesla has been around, and it's still in "Beta".

Tesla is WAY behind in the race to autonomous vehicles. Waymo has had fully atomated taxis on the road in Pheonix for quite some time. The difference is. Tesla is all about making press hoopla to sell cars, Waymo is about developing the vehicle. Check it out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjztvddhZmI

Watch the whole thing, the part where they discuss accident records is enlightening.

[Big Pistons Forever]

The best description of autonomous vehicles I ever heard was from a drone developer. He said autonomous is when you go to the garage to get into your car to go to work and find it isn’t there. You look at your phone and there is a message from your car.

“Traffic is really bad this morning, so I left 10 minutes early so I wouldn’t be late for work”

[FL030]

Remember that hitchhiking robot that got decapitated in Philly? Imagine drones on the Rez It's like Interstellar.