Quote:
Originally Posted by Seahawk
In the aviation world, auto pilots are so much better than a human pilot in terms of pure piloting skill in non-emergency situations you really only need the pilot to placate the passengers...and I am a pilot.
For every Sully there is a 100 instances of pilot error being the sole causal factor in the accident.
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In the airline world the pilot has to land the airplane in emergencies because the autopilot cannot. 99% of the time, the autopilot clicks itself off, or is to be disengaged by the pilot, at the first sign of trouble. Yes, if all engines are running and there are no serious controllability issues then the autopilot can fly while the two pilots run a dozen abnormal checklists, brief the stews, call Dispatch, deal with ATC (controllers) and make the PA to the passengers. Yes, in that instance the AP is very valuable. In the 737s I fly I routinely hand-fly and am routinely smoother than the autopilot and just as accurate (headings and altitudes) as the autopilot. Yes, Sully showed why airline pilots get paid and the best part was that he didn't act like an arrogant a-hole afterwards.
I would break-down your claim and say that, in Part 121 (airline) flying, for every "Sully" level of aviation disaster there is another Sully, trained and ready to handle something serious. Now, in Cessna 150s, your 1-for-100 claim is likely more accurate.
(I am an airline pilot. 17,000 hours total, military/military instructor and civilian/91/121.)
As for cars, we now have an arena where no one is really trained or tested. You can step off the airplane from anywhere in the world and get a driver's license with little or no effort. I often tell nervous airline passengers that they are much safer above 18,000 feet (above all the Cessnas) than they are in their own car. People in cars don't know what they're doing. Commercial pilots have to know and are tested, line-checked, simulator-checked, written tested until the cows come home. Outside of the U.S. I will admit that the aviation accident rate statistics go up.
Last thought. Raise your hand if you'll board an automated airliner. No pilots, no human in the cockpit. An airline employee (college intern) programs the autopilot and preflights the airplane--and then waves to the passengers and walks off of the airplane and closes the boarding door. Who's up for that? Oh, and no, the suits who run the airline will not pass the savings on to the passengers. Same price, pilot or no pilot. Raise your hand.