Come Fly With Me – Is the world ready for self-flying planes?  

Come Fly With Me – Is the world ready for self-flying planes?

Recently, Tesla has, once again, hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons as it prepares to roll out its self-driving cars, despite criticism that the technology is not yet ready. If we’re reluctant to accept self-driving cars, it would stand to reason that self-flying aircraft would be a no-no but, surprisingly, these are closer than we might think.

This is not your Captain speaking

To begin with, it’s important to understand the difference between automation and fully self-flying aircraft. In the modern world, most flights run automatically to a large extent. For example, with a commercial flight, a pilot will input a flight plan into the flight management system and will then manually guide the plane through take-off before engaging auto-pilot.  

Although modern airplanes can land autonomously, they are usually monitored carefully by the pilot from the cockpit to ensure that everything stays on course. In contrast, when talking about self-flying planes, we’re referring to an aircraft which will conduct a flight from start to finish without a human pilot in the cockpit. Although this may initially sound terrifying, in reality, it’s not actually that much of a leap when we look at how much of the average flight is already automated.  

As we speak, a number of airlines, including Boeing, are looking into the possibility of pilot-less flights with the benefits stated as cost savings and the elimination of pilot error during a flight. In fact, in July of this year, Airbus reported that it had successfully concluded tests on an airplane which can taxi, take off and land without a human pilot. Far from science fiction, Swiss Bank UBS concluded in a recent survey that pilot-less flights may be coming to an airport near you as soon as 2025. So, how will it work? 

Technology in the upright position

The answer to that question lies, of course, in the technology. Unlike the existing auto-pilot technology, safely operating pilot-less aircraft within busy airspace will require some really complex engineering, far beyond the ability to stay in the air for a period of time. In reality, a pilot-less aircraft will need to be able to:  

• Taxi and take-off safely and accurately 
• Seek out obstacles and dangers such as building, birds and other aircraft (including drones) 
• Identify and address issues during a flight 
• Make alterations to the course of a flight to take into account weather systems, failures and obstacles 

This kind of advanced technology will require embedded software and the use of artificial intelligence in order to plan a safe path of motion and correctly execute such a path. The kind of capabilities needed will mean that the actual aircraft will be very different and will require a number of innovations including:  

• Electric propulsion for the purposes of reducing urban emissions 
• Lightweight frames for maneuverability and efficiency 
• Redesign of the cockpit 

This is how it could be done but, the other question is, should it be done? 

Winging it

The 2016 movie, Sully, tells the story of pilot, Chelsey Sullenberger, who made the decision to land an Airbus Airbus A320-214 in New York’s Hudson River after birds destroyed both engines. The movie highlights the fact that, despite the technology saying otherwise, Sullenber’s 42 years of experience told him that the aircraft would not make it to the nearest airport. For this reason, it’s easy to understand why many people are uncomfortable with the very idea of boarding a pilotless flight. However, whether we like it or not, we may be buckling up on a flight run entirely on technology in the next five years.

The future of air travel

2020 has been disastrous for the airline industry and, for the travel industry as a whole. By the 8th of October this year, 43 airlines had been forced to declare bankruptcy with more forecast to follow. As the airline industry struggles to recover from this extraordinary year, many will be looking to the concept of self-flying aircraft as a means of survival. In fact, some airlines are already introducing single pilot flights for freight and cargo which most agree is the first step toward full automation.  

While self-flying aircraft will almost certainly play a role in the future of air travel, sceptics needn’t start to worry just yet. As with any innovation as important as this in terms of safety, there will need to be extensive testing and a huge number of guidelines to be set in place before our skies are filled with these airplanes of the future.