Michael wrote:
Which raises an interesting question about focusing more effort on
making an airplane that is simpler to fly.

Which is very doable - it merely requires that we give up some of our
cherished concepts about what the right way is.

Some thoughts:


Some time back Raytheon hacked up a Bonanza with all kinds of
electronic goodies including a fly-by-wire control system and synthetic
vision (highway in the sky) PFD. Reportedly they tested it by grabbing
the receptionist, sticking her in the cockpit, and in an hour she was
able to shoot an ILS to minimums within checkride standards.

Best piece I could find on it online:
http://www.designnews.com/article/CA86994.html

I think the biggest challenge for this is integration into the NAS. You
really need two-way datalink with ATC and then you can have a
controller transmit a routing directly to the FMS. Well, we could
certainly get Boeing/Lockmar on board for this, especially if they get
to collect a "toll" for every flight. They'll have more of an incentive
to expand the market than the FAA I think...

With modern technology, it would be no problem to design and build
airplanes that any idiot could learn to fly in a weekend, never mind a
week. We wouldn't get the Harley crowd that way, but we might well get
the Mercedes crowd.

I come from a boating family and it's enlightening to compare the two.
Boating is unregulated and almost solely recreational. Flying is
heavily regulated and has utility as a means of transportation.

In the boating world you have a choice of a million different vessels
offering every combination of cost and performance and mission. There
are boats designed for and primarily used by people who shouldn't be
allowed to drive a wheelbarrow, and "little ships" which are the equal
of any commercial vessel and whose owners adhere to the finest
standards of seamanship.

The big difference between flying, boating, and driving in my view is
what I call the "pull-over factor." A car can experience severe
mechanical problems and still easily limp to the side of the road if
not a service station at very low risk to occupants. You can drive
safely in nearly any weather in nearly any car, and if it gets really
bad, you can still pull over and just stop.

A boat raises the stakes in that some mechanical failures can cause
serious problems and there is no pulling over in bad weather. But, even
in sticky situations, you still often have time- minutes, if not an
hour or more to figure out what to do, and you can often call for help
when the bleep hits the fan.

Flying however offers no such outs. Once the wheels are off the ground,
all anyone can do is wish you good luck; if a problem develops, it is
up to the pilot to solve it. This is what scares most people away, and
while you an build many safety systems in to add options, there's still
no way to pull over.

-cwk.