Plane Without Pilot To Go On Trial Over UK

Just read this interesting article over on the Sky News website, they are looking to test pilotless planes over UK skies.

A plane that can be flown without pilots is being tested out in preparation for its maiden flight in shared UK airspace later this year.

The plane, a BAE Systems Jetstream aircraft - The Flying Test Bed - is being put through its paces in a series of at least 20 flights over the Irish Sea and through UK airspace.

Although it will be pilot-free during the tests, there will be people on board able to take the controls if the need arises.

Source: Plane Without Pilot To Go On Trial Over UK

Would you fly in a pilotless plane?

The comment below gets me though.....is it just me spending too much time on ATS or is the first thing that comes into your head when you read this... "DRONES"? .....

The aim of the trials is to demonstrate to regulators such as the Civil Air Authority and air traffic control that such aircraft, known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, will be able to be used safely in UK airspace.

It wouldn't surpise me if this was just another way of getting the public used to the use of unmanned drones over the UK skies too.

Here is a link to the projects website....

ASTRAEA

I'm probably reading too much into it all, especially the investors who have more than enough experience with military contracts between them to handle any less civil reaons for unmanned aircraft.

Participants

The ASTRAEA programme is jointly funded by industry and the public sector. Half of the funding for ASTRAEA is therefore being provided by public sector organisations – including the TSB and the regions – with the rest from a consortium of seven UK companies: AOS, BAE Systems, Cassidian, Cobham, QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce and Thales UK.

Industry:

AOS
BAE Systems
Cassidian
Cobham
QinetiQ
Rolls-Royce
Thales UK

So what are your thoughts, just another innocent aircraft project or the beginning of something a little more special in our skies like in the US?

CX.

not only do we give ourselves the potential to lose out on more jobs but we will put our faith into another human-less system, that can malfunction in a hundred different ways.

I don't even trust or like my computer let alone one that a plane runs off of.

hacker central gets wind that you can control a pilotless aircraft and you run the risk of pranks or terrorism even more so...

Well, if this is a plan to use drones over the UK. We're gonna need to put a stop to this idea before they pass yet another bill without the people's agreement.

How much of a fruit bat do you have to be to be paranoid of being hit by a drone tho?, or being spied on by drones?

If the technology works as expected and is deemed safe after thorough testing, then by all means crack on with them if it benefits society or improves security, i'm certainly not going to be leaving my house with a balaclava on, an umbrella up and watching out for falling drones on my way to work, i just don't understand what all the big fuss is with the drone paranoia, i just think there's more chance of getting hit by a meteorite or a flying pig, there is millions of other people all walking around i'm sure they don't have enough drones or people to monitor the cameras to be spying on everybody for some stupid reason or another, pure nonsensical paranoia IMO

Commercial Airline usage?

Personally no, i would not feel safe on a commercial airliner that was pilot-less with no one on board just encase of a malfunction but i'm sure i could get used to it, lets face it, if it was put into commercial usage even after having proven to be successful then what's the piont of having a crew on board that could encase of malfunction take the controls?, there wouldn't be would there defeats the whole point of it all really... it may go many many years without any malfunctions but i still wouldn't feel totally safe but then again i never do, i always look out the window mid flight and envision the wing ripping of or the engine catching fire, a pilot-less plane would just add more fuel to my over imaginative mind, and id need a back up/plan-b, or at least id want a parachute & a seat close to the door, id poo my pants tho first time round

This all might be due to experiences just recently tho, as i was on a flight coming home from Spain back just a few weeks ago when the plane landed bounced around quite abit on touch down to the point old people and children started to scream, a few second later the pilot decided to full throttle back up for another landing attempt, i think had that decision been made by the "human -ish pilot" we may of ended up in a ditch in flames, or possibly crashing into the back of another plane, one or the other... i don't no which the pilot give us all two excuses

There has been talk that within 10 years we'll see pilotless cargo aircraft. Most likely there will be one pilot on board to take command if necessary, but that would be it. There is still a lot to work out as to how it will be done.

Originally posted by TritonTaranis
How much of a fruit bat do you have to be to be paranoid of being hit by a drone tho?, or being spied on by drones?

Lol, whilst i kind of see your point, i think there are a few people that would question your comment. They are of course all dead in other countries but if they could talk, i'm sure they would. As for drones being used to spy on people, you might wantto look that one up.

It would be intersting to see what comes of this though, and i mean that in a totaly non-conspiracy way. I just wouldn't trust a computer to look after people in the air. How would a power cut affect things? As someone said, what about if it was hacked?

What about if there was a sudden surge like an EMP effect from something like a sun flare that knocked everything out? Thats fine when it's just taking out your house electricity, but when you are dealing with peoples lives, there is no room for risk.

CX.

The software for the X-47B, which is autonomous, has been tested with a Learjet. So far they have performed a join up, a simulated connect, and a reform of an Omega K707, with pilots on board (that's off the left wing, under the tail, and off the right wing). They'll do something similar with this testing. The pilots will stay hands off the entire flight, and then eventually they'll use the same plane with no pilots.