Most important advancement.

[avro_arrow_25206]

Unfortunatly, all of you are wrong - there is only one word that "advanced" aviation (and other things we take for granted in day to day life - for example micro-wave overns) and that, unfortunatly, is "WAR"

Not just aviation, it pretty much advanced civilization and our quality of life

[scramjet]

Unfortunatly, all of you are wrong - there is only one word that "advanced" aviation (and other things we take for granted in day to day life - for example micro-wave overns) and that, unfortunatly, is "WAR"

Yeah, its really a shame

[RobinB]

Unfortunatly, all of you are wrong - there is only one word that "advanced" aviation (and other things we take for granted in day to day life - for example micro-wave overns) and that, unfortunatly, is "WAR"

[scramjet]

I think pilots will be around for awhile yet. Yes aircraft will get more and more automated, but there will always be a need for highly skilled pilots to manage and program the system and to supplement the decision making process (particularly in emergencies) particularly when the craft is carrying passengers. Case in point: manned spacecraft have been highly automated pretty much since their invention; however, they still carry pilots for the some of the above reasons and the fact that some reusable crafts are aerodynamic. Several times pilots have had to perform functions manually in these spacecraft including several manual reentry alignments when the computer system failed. Furthermore, unmanned aerial vehicles still call for occasional remote pilot inputs and unmanned rockets call for pre flight programming.
If you think about it, computers could potentially automate pretty much every profession in the next hundred years, even engineers

[avro_arrow_25206]

There's a bit more decision making going on when flying an airplane. Stealing this from a standup comedian, when an escalaor breaks, it just becomes stairs.

I was going to counter with unmanned elevator, but I guess it would become a private suite when it breaks...

[screaming_emu]

They trust unmanned escalators, why not this?

But really, if this does become somewhat reliable, and if the airlines are still looking for ways to cut costs--- look out

There's a bit more decision making going on when flying an airplane. Stealing this from a standup comedian, when an escalaor breaks, it just becomes stairs.

[avro_arrow_25206]

I agree, as one can see with autopilots, its easy to have a computer fly the airplane, but really the hardest part about being a pilot is the decision making aspects of it. I dont see the general public trusting their lives to an unmanned aircraft.

They trust unmanned escalators, why not this?

But really, if this does become somewhat reliable, and if the airlines are still looking for ways to cut costs--- look out

[screaming_emu]

Intersting idea, but i think no, if something went wrong, a peron in the plane with thousands of hours of training and experience is going to do a hell of a lot more to make sure the plane doesnt crash than someone sitting with a remote control (so to speak), since his life is also at risk.

I agree, as one can see with autopilots, its easy to have a computer fly the airplane, but really the hardest part about being a pilot is the decision making aspects of it. I dont see the general public trusting their lives to an unmanned aircraft.

[Simpleboy]

Most important advancement, our ability to kill/torture each other?
Could also put the wheel on that, i mean, the wheels is used everywhere, or at least the basic idea/shape is.

I expect to see Unmanned jet airliners flying robots around the world.

Intersting idea, but i think no, if something went wrong, a peron in the plane with thousands of hours of training and experience is going to do a hell of a lot more to make sure the plane doesnt crash than someone sitting with a remote control (so to speak), since his life is also at risk.

[DAL767-400ER]

thats not really new, they did that in WW2

Nobody said that any advancement would have to be recent , and since they didn't paint hot chicks on the planes from the get-go, it can be considered an advancement .

[Chris@YYZ]

Painting hot chicks on the sides of planes

thats not really new, they did that in WW2

[screaming_emu]

Painting hot chicks on the sides of planes

[avro_arrow_25206]

and I'd expect the same to be happening with the UAV technology.

I expect to see Unmanned jet airliners flying robots around the world.

[DAL767-400ER]

Where else would you put those (insert beverage here) cans on those long flights.

I thought that's what pilots have their FO's for ?

[NBGTowerGuy]

The most important advancement ever would have to be the cup holder. Where else would you put those (insert beverage here) cans on those long flights.