I’m Back…..I Don’t Think Anyone Noticed I was Gone

 

 

 

 

It’s been over eleven years since I retired.  I have not been behind the controls of any aircraft since.  I have however, with my wife, driven our 1931 Model A Ford pickup tens of thousands of miles across our beautiful country.  From the Grand Canyon to Kitty Hawk and most places in between.  I thought when retired, I would not be able to relate to the aviation community the same as when I was part of it.  To my surprise and regret, current events indicate I still can.  Aviation has not changed.

 

I assumed that with a new generation of pilots and aircraft I would not be able to share the same connection I once had with today’s aviation community.  I did not anticipate that although the pilots younger and the airplanes newer and more sophisticated, the “human-machine” interface would be the same. I don’t know if I was optimistic or just naïve.  When robots and AI take over, then it might be different. Today’s highly complex flight management systems still do not possess critical thinking or decision-making skills.  These modern aircraft are still dependent on a human, either physically or remotely connected, to effectively manage and safely execute their assigned mission.  Student pilots in primary training and a veteran A380 Captain continue to share the same profound role.  That is the responsibility for and authority over the machine they are operating.  

 

So, to use a popular phrase from the current lexicon; “Let’s have a conversation.”.  I will let you know what I think, but more importantly, invite you to explore with me what WE can think about.  I want to see the new generation of pilots look differently at how they can interface with their machines more effectively.  Recent events indicate looking at this challenge in the same traditional way is not working.  I don’t believe that abdicating more and more responsibility to process, procedure, and technology is the answer.  Let’s talk about it.