9 seats one pilot

[rajflyboy]

Explain exactly how this is legal and also how they can fly major airline pax this way?

 

[DUATS]

Scheduled Part 135 with autopilot in lieu of second in command. They can code share with majors and put the name of the 135 operator in the small print.

 

[DoinTime]

You can bet that most flights (airline or not) in America will be single pilot within the next 25 years.

 

[rajflyboy]

Good old technology

But if you book United you think you are on top notch equipment and crews... then you realize you are on a 9 seat old plane with one pilot

You know people are like OMG ... WTF?

 

[SpauldingSmails]

You can bet that most flights (airline or not) in America will be single pilot within the next 25 years.

25 years? I'll take that bet.

I think we may see the start within the next 15-25, but cost of refleeting vs. paying a dude to sit upfront is a large gap to close. Most flights - not likely.

Shall we revisit in 2039? Case of beer if you're right - in which case we'll need it.

 

[340drvr]

Yes, they can probably pay hundreds of right-seaters for decades (all the ramen noodles you can eat), for orders of magnitude less than it would cost to retrofit 1900's with autopilots.

 

[rajflyboy]

I'm going to PUKE if I ever get on one of these one pilot king airs after purchasing a ticket on a major airline

 

[DoinTime]

25 years? I'll take that bet.

I think we may see the start within the next 15-25, but cost of refleeting vs. paying a dude to sit upfront is a large gap to close. Most flights - not likely.

Shall we revisit in 2039? Case of beer if you're right - in which case we'll need it.

Ahhh...you forgot about the pilot shortage. )

Seriously though, that will likely force the issue upon the airlines and government. The technology already exists to make this happen right now. Current aircraft can be retrofitted. It won't require refleeting.

There are many who once said that it wasn't safe to have 2 pilot crews flying in airline operations. Look at the world now.

 

[mesaserf]

I thought Great Mistakes was in the process of retrofitting their 1900's to nine seats so they could get past the 1500hr thing. Has this come to pass? If so it can be one of the pathways for the newly minted commercial pilot to the regionals.

 

[Traderd]

25 years? I'll take that bet.

I think we may see the start within the next 15-25, but cost of refleeting vs. paying a dude to sit upfront is a large gap to close. Most flights - not likely.

Shall we revisit in 2039? Case of beer if you're right - in which case we'll need it.

I wouldn't venture a guess as to when but there are variables that might make it happen somewhat sooner than might be expected. But the move to automation strikes me as Hemingway wrote of bankruptcy in The Sun Also Rises.

How do you go bankrupt? Two ways. Slowly and then suddenly.