Qatar airlines proposing one pilot only flights

I saw a news report earlier today, Qatar airlines want to increase flights to southern
Australasia, I cant find the story anywhere, though it was on seven news Melbourne aust.

As part of this they are pushing for international flights to allow for single pilot only flights.

I don’t get how only one sold pilot can manage preflight checklists, setting up an aircraft for launch and then the heavy workload in between and doing ore landing checklist.

Plus what if a pilot has a medical incident.

Though with these reports on pilot fatigue, stress would you fly Qatar.

www.reuters.com...

dohanews.co...

originally posted by: robsmith
I saw a news report earlier today, Qatar airlines want to increase flights to southern
Australasia, I cant find the story anywhere, though it was on seven news Melbourne aust.

As part of this they are pushing for international flights to allow for single pilot only flights.

I don’t get how only one sold pilot can manage preflight checklists, setting up an aircraft for launch and then the heavy workload in between and doing ore landing checklist.

Plus what if a pilot has a medical incident.

Though with these reports on pilot fatigue, stress would you fly Qatar.

www.reuters.com...

dohanews.co...

Sounds like a plan to crash a few planes. Some redundancy at the pilot position seems necessary if just for the medical and just being able to take a break and not have the plane crash/turn into a flaming ball of wreckage.

a reply to: robsmith

What could possibly go wrong at 35,000 ft?

a reply to: ntech

They want to increase flights to Australia by 25 per week, looks like they don’t have enough pilots. Have to channel them from other 2 crew flights.

a reply to: andy06shake

Lol probably not too much! Lol

It’s a concern yes, but aren’t planes smart enough to make these journeys automatically anyway. Can they be flown remotely if required?

I am sure I read that in the US they were going to start flying cargo flights to be flown without pilots, although not over populated areas.

a reply to: robsmith

Just see sods law kicking in.

The pilot carking it.

And the poor flight attendants scrambling about trying to find a passenger proficient with Microsoft Flight Simulator able to land the thing.

a reply to: andy06shake

Lol though this happened in my neck of the woods.

Wouldn’t be so funny if true.

amp.theage.com.au...

Apparently as part of flight training was watching air crash investigations.

a reply to: Tortuga

I remember they used to rc f4 phantoms for tarter drone practice.

Though to have autonomous aircraft is risky. What if they are jacked via a hack and controlled into a city.

At least if there is a crew the can take control if needed.

a reply to: robsmith

Here's a source from Fortune.com for you...

a reply to: andy06shake

Ah man, the scene from Snakes on a Plane springs to mind ....



Made my day.

a reply to: robsmith

What happens when the pilot has to go to the restroom? No one is flying the plane.

I would venture to guess if they go to one pilot-only flights, it shows they are extremely confident in being able to fly their fleet remotely if needed. If not the insurance costs would be astronomical would they not?

I believe the military has developed the flying drone tech well enough, that the failure rate is probably lower than onboard pilots.

a reply to: Nickn3

I would not put it past them having the pilot wear some kind of stadium buddy thingamabob attached to a condom catheter contraption.

Better hope he don't need to go number two's.

They can propose it all they want, but until ICAO and the Qatar regulators approve it, it’s not going anywhere. They might get away with domestic flights, but international would require a lot of approvals from many different organizations. It won’t be happening quickly, if at all.

I think Qatar has lost its mind. I can think of quite a few reasons that this is a bad idea and I know nothing about planes.

a reply to: robsmith
I'm surprised they aren't pushing for fully automated Pilotless flights.

Just wait...

originally posted by: Creep Thumper
I think Qatar has lost its mind. I can think of quite a few reasons that this is a bad idea and I know nothing about planes.

Agree 100% there is a huge difference between drone flying and remote flying a passenger-filled Dreamliner or Airbus. Makes me wonder how many passengers would get on a fully loaded flight to Australia with one pilot on board.

fadti.com...

Maybe to decrease secret gay sex between the pilots. Sarc

a reply to: robsmith

With ideas like this, I just wait for them to come up with an idea to have one plane tow another one to save on that pilot too. Just use a hemp rope tied around the fuselages to tie them together...

So you only need one pilot for two planes. Also, the pilot could program the landing approach and parachute out for the next flight. I mean, from the airline viewpoint that probably seems reasonable.