jbmcnamee

I wish X-Wing luck with regard to autonomous flight. They are going to need it. Getting the FAA to sign off on the concept of a fleet of unmanned aircraft flying cargo around the skies sounds like mission impossible to me. We can’t even get the friendly Feds to sign off on relatively mundane issues right now. Still reeling from the MAX/MCAS debacle, I don’t see anyone at the agency willing to sign off on something as cutting edge as this, especially considering the potential for disastrous consequences when (not if) something goes wrong. Drones flying packages around town is one thing, but real airplanes hauling freight, or people, long distances across the country is something else entirely.

gliders

So one takeaway is that if you’re a pilot flying for X-Wing, you better be looking for another job, and now.

Arthur_Foyt

As long as the software auto-destructs the aircraft if it heads toward any population center, TFR, public water source, government building, or any critical infrastructure, then yea.

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pilotmww

What happens to all of the debris that results from the auto-destruct?

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pilotmww

I’m not to concerned about any unmanned aircraft flying unless insurance companies express any willingness to insure such aircraft. Having insurance is a pt135 and DOT requirement. So far I have not heard of any.

ag4n6

But then who’s going to train all those airline pilot wanabes?

Arthur_Foyt

It falls before reaching any population center, TFR, public water source, government building, or any critical infrastructure by said process and thus is “safer” than the alternative for an errant flight.

Timothy_Iacobacci

These guys are as bad as the Green idiots. No insurance company will allow it! You are totally delusional.

JohnTownsley

Likely we’re close to training the last generation of pilots. If we can have AI driven cars on our highways it’s a no-brainer that we’ll soon see AI piloted aircraft in the NAS. Some my trucker friends are already thinking of their NEXT careers… For certain sure that with the advent of AI flown fighters AI flown freight is inevitable… and soon.

johnbpatson

Obviously, you will need 20/20 vision, perfect eye/hand co-ordination, be able to run 3,000 metres in 10 minutes and be able to march in perfect step. Plus be happy to have horrible haircuts.
After that, being able to find the on switch, and be able to push it without an expression of alarm on your face, will guarantee entry.

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kent.misegades

What would Chuck Yeager have said about flying this contraption? Expletive deleted, for sure!

online

Sorry but the Air Force doesn’t learn to march in step, just shuffle along with hands in their pockets!

gliders

Hoo Boy! I get what the Aptima consultants are saying, but you gotta hope it doesn’t turn out like this…

https://thumbs(dot)dreamstime(dot)com/z/vector-crash-test-dummy-10344424.jpg

Arthur_Foyt

Be prepared. I assume that the man in all black is the chaplain?

MWSletten

What will these be used for? It seems to me such a vehicle will be particularly vulnerable to ground fire from just about any firearm other than shotguns.

Richard_G

Like helicopters when they first came out, they want to waste enlisted on them if they crash. Enlisted are disposable and cost less when dead. Warrants are the next to go. Army uses them as a somewhere in between.

Dennis_C

I can’t see people lining up to want to fly these things. Equipment: headset, check; night vision goggles, check; bullet proof vest, check; kevlar jockstrap, check. OH SH*T!!! A Mig 29 is rolling in on me!!!

Timothy_Iacobacci

Your tax dollars -Completely wasted. These morons funded something that will never help the military or help the citizens. Quit wasting the taxpayers money.

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lstencel

… and people were poo-pooing the A-10 as a ‘vulnerable’ platform and supporting their retirement. Give me a break !!

From many years involved w/ flight test at Edwards, I learned that the military needs to have a plethora of ‘toys’ available at their disposal for use is all contingencies. As much as I dislike these things, they probably do have a use … somewhere? I don’t know where that is but … somewhere.

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roganderson60

Is the article’s second paragraph indicative of the concerns about current pilot skills, and why they seem to frequently not be able to react to an actually flying event that requires a reaction with manual flying skills.

luckyfivetwo

I hope they are not going to fly those over populated areas.

jbmcnamee

You are right Larry. I’m sure that back when the army first got interested in the Wright flyers there was a huge crowd of naysayers that thought it was a stupid waste of money. After all, those idiot flying machines would never amount to anything useful! It’s likely that the funky looking things we see today will evolve into a much more capable machine, maybe with a little DARPA funding. And the discussion of whether a skilled stick and rudder pilot would be the best fit for flying highly automated eVTOLs reminds me of the similar issue the military had with remote drone pilots when they first came out. They discovered that young non-pilot guys who were good at video games were better suited at controlling the drones than were fighter jocks. Different set of skills.

stevejones123

Knowing the government they will invent a use for them to justify their expense. These don’t fill any current need but they check the political boxes such as Trendy, Environmentally Friendly, No Aviation Skills Required, etc.

NewUserName

Never help the military? I cannot understand why you would think something that could likely fly to a given place, with or without a pilot, and pick up someone needing to get out of where he was would never by of use to the military.

rpstrong

Plus, you have to feed the dog.

rpstrong

At their simplest, they’re basically a flying jeep. Leave it to the soldiers to find uses that were never in the design specs.

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NewUserName

Some good, some hilarious, most a waste of money! Hooah