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Airbus tests pilot assist that can automatically divert flights

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Autonomous transportation assistance isn't limited to cars. Airbus has started testing a pilot assistance feature, DragonFly, that could save an aircraft in an emergency. The system can automatically divert a flight in an emergency. It can not only pick a flight path to the best airport (using factors like airspace rules and weather), but communicate with air traffic control and an airline's operations center. If the pilots are incapacitated, the aircraft can still land safely. (www.engadget.com) More...

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jbermo
jbermo 12
The camel's nose is under the tent for fully autonomous flight.
dcarter2080
David Carter 9
Welcome, Dignitaries and Special Guests, to the world's first autonomous airline flight. Sit back and relax. Nothing can go wrong. Nothing can go wrong. Nothing can go wrong Nothing
ewrcap
ewrcap 3
Like me, this joke is over sixty years old and debuted when automated landings were introduced. Of course, automatic landings are now routine and very safe and have eliminated many of the mistakes made by humans like dipping below the glide path because they think they have spotted a bit of ground.

The same ilk demanded a three man crew on the two man 737 which was not only cumbersome but totally unnecessary. It was nothing more than union featherbedding. The same thing happened when the Airbus A-300 debuted. Engineers had to go back and create an FE panel with enough switches to keep someone slightly busy. This was eliminated on later models without any negative effect on safety.
mbrews
mbrews 8
Imagine the cockpit conversation - “what’s it doing now ? “ Or “Open the pod bay doors, HAL. “

victorbravo77
victorbravo77 2
Pilots? Pilots? We don't need no stinkin' pilots!
ewrcap
ewrcap 0
In many cases, NO. The US Air Force now flies 40% of its missions with RPVs. .
nasdisco
Chris B 7
Seen this feature on some GA aircraft, it's called Garmin auto land.

Copy and paste link to watch it in action https://youtu.be/dVZmkihYEbw
kd7eir
Jim Myers 1
Very nice.Thanks for the link.
zbonci
zbonci 4
I am not an expert, just an aviation enthusiast, but, thinking of, say, A380 being diverted for an emergency landing by this autonomous system, makes me feel scared. I rather trust a human pilot skills and professional judgment.
TorstenHoff
Torsten Hoff 2
It's intended for when the human pilots are incapacitated, so it's either the computer or nobody.

Also keep in mind that auto-land systems already exist for instrument landings. Category III C is fully automatic with no visual reference for the pilots.

And finally, as Chris B pointed out, these types of systems already exist even for a few General Aviation aircraft.
k1121j
k1121j 3
one step close to pilots no longer knowing how to fly, no co-pilot. scary to say the least
dcarter2080
David Carter 3
Welcome, Dignitaries and Special Guests, to the world's first autonomous airline flight. Sit back and relax. Nothing can go wrong. Nothing can go wrong. Nothing can go wrong Nothing...
royhunte92
Roy Hunte 2
I hope it doesn't cause any untoward events to occur.
johntaylor571
John Taylor 1
Maybe they're looking ahead for when the entire aircrew is incapacitated from "the jab". (I kid, I kid, sort of)
sparkie624
sparkie624 0
I can't think of a better systems for High Jacker's to use from remote! What other crazy crap can they think up!
patpylot
patrick baker 0
this is so far out of bounds, so inane, pointless, and massive overreach by the folks who design airbus. NOthing like letting the robots run the operation, untrustworthy at best. Pilots and controllers work well together, and it benefits us not, we the traveling public, with idiotic museings such as this?

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