Airbus is testing an autopilot system that it claims can autonomously in case of an emergency. If aircraft are capable of this, then will we all soon be flying without a human pilot on board?
What is an autopilot?
The first autopilot was created in 1912, but was extremely limited. A gyroscope and altitude indicator connected mechanically to the controls could keep the plane flying at a set heading and height, but nothing else. Despite these limitations, it took the pressure off pilots and allowed them to look down at charts or instruments.
As time went on and technology improved, the autopilot systems got better. a modified C-54 transport aircraft flew a series of automated test flights from destinations thousands of miles apart and even touched down on the runway – although the human pilot said it led to some “hard landings”.
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Today, we have secretive uncrewed space planes that launch in rockets, orbit autonomously for several years and land themselves, while military, commercial and even toy drones are also able to fly without human control. But regulations when carrying hundreds of passengers are understandably stricter.
What is Airbus testing and how is it different to modern autopilots?
Airbus’s latest system, , is perhaps the most advanced autopilot to date. But the company says it is an emergency safety feature rather than an everyday aid. If the pilots are incapacitated, then DragonFly can work out the best airport to head for, land the plane and even taxi to the terminal so passengers can disembark.
While most modern airliners already have the capability to land themselves in an emergency, they rely on the ground-based (ILS), which broadcasts a cone of radio signals to guide an aircraft onto the runway. Because DragonFly is designed to land at the nearest airport quickly, which may not have ILS, it has video cameras that the onboard computer can use to land the aircraft. Those same cameras also allow it to taxi autonomously.
Some planes have the ability to take off on autopilot, but it isn’t used.
Will we ever lose human pilots?
DragonFly will be a feature of last resort if it leaves the testing phase and makes it to new aircraft, says an Airbus spokesperson, rather than for everyday use. “It’s not at all the first step to having no pilots. We’re not trying to replace them, it’s just about improving safety,” they say.
at Cranfield University, UK, says that modern airliners are under computer control for 95 per cent of the duration of flights, but human pilots are still vital. “The problem of course is that the 5 per cent or less is not a big part, but it’s usually the difficult part,” he says.
Tsourdos says it is highly unlikely that we will have commercial flights without pilots any time soon. “The role of the pilots may change through the years, so they will be supervisors. I think from the safety and resilience point of view, it’s unlikely they’ll disappear,” he says.
