EASA rejects single pilot operations

Only a damn fool would have single pilots in an airliner.

The push is to reduce costs at the expense of safety, the old adage of safety first has dropped down the list and profit is at the top. If they want to reduce costs, replace management with AI from the CEO down.

Has anyone talked to pilots about this? I doubt it, but there is a human element! Even a seasoned captain needs the assurance of checking his decision making with another pilot. Flying solo would increase anxiety in areas of high workload and put safety back to the dark ages. If this is their thinking then I assume they believe CRM training is a waste of time these days 🤷‍♂️

What a bunch of baloney!

Technology will always have an unplanned issue at some time. Last week, after a patient was asleep for surgery, the robot we use malfunctioned and would not boot up. After an hour of trying to fix it, we ended up waking the patient up and rescheduling for another day. Beware of having technology substitute for human ability. Remember that all of this AI, computers for aircraft were developed and built by smart people not machines.

The culture* has reached its limits — the smarter, wiser pilot draws their lines on their inside, not on their outside.

It's a subtle point; it's so subtle, that those drawing their lines on the outside will probably miss it. Don't shoot the messenger.

(*What culture? Arguably, the “capitalist” culture. Naming it overcomes it.)

"crewed by just pilot by 2030" . Well who else is going to do it ? the flight attendant

Airlines like SWA can't seem to find the correct course of action despite many people on their executive team. Now they want to take pilots off of planes to save a few bucks - what could possibly go wrong?

Another few thousands of FTE destroyed before they came to their senses.

Good grief, what is it with these bean counters? They're all on the same playing field, i.e. they all have to have two pilots, so it's not competition. Oh, they want to drop one pilot, charge the same prices, and keep the extra money. One problem is, the first thing the autopilot does when instruments disagree or things otherwise go sideways is shut down. Then it's up to the human holding the stick.

If there is a pilot shortage, how about increasing pilot pay? Maybe even better, offer pilot training scholarships to apt candidates so they don't have to get student loans to pay for Embry-Riddle. There's gotta be something that makes more sense than this idiocy.

Ok let me ask this question.. They say they want to experiment with maybe allowing single-pilot operations while in CRUISE mode, because it is less stressful. So, if that extra pilot has to be basically flying deadhead UNTIL the plane reaches cruise, who is being paid for the entire flight?
I wouldn't be wanting to be either pilot, if they are only paid for the phase of the flight they are operating the aircraft. Who comes up with these asinine plans? I thought they would have learned the lesson when that airline pilot died right after takeoff a few months ago. Had that have been a single-pilot flight there would have been a disaster.

Ok let me ask this question.. They say they want to experiment with maybe allowing single-pilot operations while in CRUISE mode, because it is less stressful. So, if that extra pilot has to be basically flying deadhead UNTIL the plane reaches cruise, who is being paid for the entire flight?
I wouldn't be wanting to be either pilot, if they are only paid for the phase of the flight they are operating the aircraft. Who comes up with these asinine plans? I thought they would have learned the lesson when that airline pilot died right after takeoff a few months ago. Had that have been a single-pilot flight there would have been a disaster. But, I remember the sad fact about aviation in America. It takes a disaster to cause changes in regulations.

Just think about the pilots who work for airlines like Ethiopian Airlines, Malaysia Airline and some others.

I have flown small jets single pilot for years. With the technology of aircraft being outfitted with automated emergency land capabilities, I think this will be an option in the future. We fly unmanned drones all over the world and that technology will be in commercial aviation in the near future.

How many flights actually had any flight deck crew become incapacitated in the last 10/20/30 years? Per million kilometers / hours...? Do not some flights already rely on autoland? Why not routinely /more often?

I think automation and crew resource management and safety all are in a balance. There was not a lot of “piloting” going on when we went to the moon! Passenger planes still crash with multiple pilots on duty so resting the argument there is not supported by reality.

Consider a cockpit design with bunk and lav and galley and do you really need 4x pilots for long haul? The Captain of a nuclear submarine is just one person that must sleep, but they are always just a few steps away if needed, so I think there is room for a debate before we jump from 4 to 1 directly or dismiss the notion all together.

Change the crew requirements to one pilot and one big dog. The big dog is there to make sure the pilot doesn't touch anything.

The AI is getting so good that even now the second seat is better off with an unemotional backup.

Modern aircraft have the capability (and have for some time) to conduct an entire flight from gate to gate unmanned.

It is coming but for now at least one human should be present even if only for the sake of public confidence.