Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cogito who wrote (126954)	12/11/2009 11:59:04 AM
From: cosmicforce	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 540963

It has been a while since I was in aviation but I suspect that autoland is probably limited to relatively calm weather. Wiki says "for a B747-400 the limitations are a maximum headwind of 25 kts, a maximum tailwind of 10 kts, a maximum crosswind component of 25 kts, and a maximum crosswind with one engine inoperative of five knots." Sounds like the restrictions for a very junior pilot! I can imagine situations where there are unusual visual or atmospheric hazard avoidance issues. I'm glad there is "autoland" for cases where there is incapacity, but I'm not sure how well these are tested for high gusting cross-winds, windshear, malfunctioning sensors and other exceptional cases including failed ground systems. We got down into the weeds here a bit on complexity. My original skepticism came from an idea floated that world peace could be attained, monitored or controlled algorithmically ala Colossus, the Forbin Project. Landing a plane is many orders of magnitude below that of doing geopolitical engineering via a trusted intelligence in a device, plus there is a total lack of accountability. I probably beat that to death in previous posts.