"Rex B" wrote in message ...
|
| Jon Elson wrote:
| Not likely. The average airliner has so little in common with the
| average lightplane that the pilot would just change the scene of the
| crash. Airliner navigation systems are so complex that he wouldn't be
| able to figure out where he was, much less get the thing configured and
| lined up for a workable approach and landing, and things like gear and
| flaps slats and spoilers and reverse thrust can keep two experienced
| pilots plenty busy. Just figuring out how to disable the autopilot
| might take time.
|
| It's my understanding that the newest airliners can land themselves
| without pilot input. Is that true?

Yes and no. The system, ALS (I think,) automated landing system,
requires special equipment on the ground. IIRC, Boeing has two of their
fields certified by the FAA, Paine Field and Moses Lake in Washington state
(Moses Lake is a big flight test spot for them) but it ain't cheap and so
very few other airports have used it. It also requires special software be
installed in system capable airplanes (meaning digital controls, not old
stuff) that combine the inputs from many of the aircraft's system and fed
into the autopilot. You have to have all your mechanical controls be
operable by computer, which means it has to be fly by wire. No control
cables or anything. Airbus' philosophy about flying is to let the computer
make the decisions with "requests" from the pilot (hence some interesting
accidents early on in the program) and Boeing's philosophy is to let the
pilot be in control of the plane at all times, although the computers do
help out a lot by assuming control of most systems when so directed. You
can override the systems on any Boeing airplane just by moving the controls
where you need them to go, unlike their competitor's planes which require
you to remember where the "please let me have the plane back" button is.