Most modern Jet aircraft can in fact "land themselves" once they have been "configured for landing" & have intercepted the "glideslope" how do you feel knowing that your next flight very likely will not have any Pilot intervention on landing ( except for monitoring dials & gauges ) at a major airport, even in low visibility!
2006-09-07 11:51:38 · 13 answers · asked by Latin Techie 7 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
Yes. In fact when I was a controller for the FAA, we could hop rides and sit in the jump seat up front with the pilots. I was flying a Delta L-1011. We were landing at Atlanta, with a low overcast, little rain and 3 miles visibility.
Before crossing the outer marker, the captain ask me if I had ever seen a landing with no hands. I said no. He proceeded to engage the auto pilot, and said watch this.
He rode with the yoke, and rudder pedals. The auto pilot controlled everything, flaps, power setting, everything. After we landed he disengaged and told me if they needed to the system could taxi to the gate.
2006-09-07 12:33:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cat III autoland is the only way you are going to get into an airport with no ceiling or visibility. I would trust the autoland more than the pilots and they would probably agree with me.
Autoland is nothing new, it first appeared on the Hawker Siddley Trident back in the sixties. As for the systems there are many performance checks and tests performed on them and many redundant features to minimize the impact of system failiures.
Also, when an airport is doing Cat III landings, all aircraft on the ground are kept away from the localizer and glideslope antennas so the signals are not disturbed.
2006-09-07 20:08:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, most modern jet aircraft cannot land themselves. Pilots are necessary to correct for unexpected conditions. As far as automated landing systems go, I am absolutely for that. If an aircraft can automatically engage the landing gear at a certain altitude it could correct some pilot error. I think that having a pilot adds a good backup.
2006-09-07 18:56:45 · answer #3 · answered by Kevin B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whenever you have a nice smooth landing, it is usually because the autopilot is landing the plane. The autopilot can act much faster and more accurately than the pilots, and so you get a much smoother landing. Remember when you're wiggling all over the sky on approach and it's not a windy day, there's a human at the controls.
2006-09-08 13:57:06 · answer #4 · answered by Jerry L 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure, why not? Have you ever seen anything mechanical get drunk? Or take off, or taxi down the wrong runway? I never have! If you drive a modern car, you'd be surprised to know whats under your rearend. The airbag system, anti-lock brakes, the most feared BLACK BOX(which, by the way, has already gotten people in jail), because it knows how fast you are driving, whether or not you used the brakes, etc. Trust the mechanics of it. No one trusted the Wright brothers with their new flying contraption in the day either!
2006-09-07 19:00:14 · answer #5 · answered by knownothing 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
some of todays aircraft with CATIII landing systems (used in fog) can land and airplane and apply brakes. Like Lloyd, I have been there when it has happen, getting a ride in the jump seat.
2006-09-07 19:54:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No problem. Nothing new! That's been around since the L-1011 back in the 1970s.
2006-09-07 19:18:51 · answer #7 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What was it, an Airbus that engaged its auto-landing system just after take off at a French airshow and crashed?
2006-09-07 21:48:01 · answer #8 · answered by Steve-o 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is fine by me. The Navy has been doing this for years before the other world has done so.
2006-09-07 18:53:26 · answer #9 · answered by Silverstang 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I like it, there's a lot of human error with landing.
2006-09-07 18:53:34 · answer #10 · answered by Justsyd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋