How do you see aviation progress into the future?
Posted by Szymans@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 11 comments
Hey fellow aviation enthusiasts/workers. As a pilot cadet dreaming about getting into this industry for very long and finally on track for a job soon (fingers crossed), out of curiosity, how do you find the industry progressing (globally) in the next 20-30 years? And in the next 100? Are we close to the top in terms of routes/frequencies and passenger ammount? Or do you think it is still early stages to mid stages, developing and with a lot of chances to grow further?
Downtown-Act-590@reddit
In 30 years, I see a lot of aircraft in the sky and very little pilot jobs. Or at least very little pilots doing actual flying. I find it really sad, but I think it is inevitable.
Major-Associate-5359@reddit
Railroads that travel on tracks are still manned by 2 people.
There is a long way to autonomous passenger flight.
ApplicationPlane4343@reddit
I envision aviation advancing with electric planes, supersonic travel, and autonomous flights.
Szymans@reddit (OP)
In what time frame would you bet? Hahahaha that gets me nervous
BrianWantsTruth@reddit
We’ll never have full automation of a passenger airliner, with an empty cockpit. There will always be at least one human babysitting the automation.
RedactedCallSign@reddit
We might see more low-boom (low noise) supersonic technologies and aircraft. If size and production can be scaled… we could see the world shrink for a lot of people.
Even for domestic flights. Lowering travel time increases the frequency of flights, provided similar maintenance turnarounds to subsonic. More flights cold potentially mean higher profits for airlines, and cheaper tickets for the consumer.
People think “well concord was too expensive”. So was commercial flight in general, at first. With serious investment in this, and now a major NEED for more aircraft manufacturers due to the Boeing debacle… the market is primed for supersonic passenger jets.
g_core18@reddit
We'll probably have the 737 max ultra +
Szymans@reddit (OP)
With the same bleed+pressurisation system
MagicalMagyars@reddit
The changes will be more internal than apparent to the general public. Changes to ATC, training, route efficiency and hopefully a move to more sustainable fuels.
There may well also be some industrial stabilisation and consolidation as the differences between business models narrow and the supply of new aircraft + engines to the market limits capacity (which is covering for the crew and airports/slots limitations).
It is unlikely that there will be any major revolution in aircraft design, speeds or a move to electric aircraft without some other significant technological leaps and considering how notoriously slow aviation is to change, that certainly won't be happening in the next 20/30 years.
discombobulated38x@reddit
I'd say we'll see increasing aircraft/passenger numbers for the next fifty years at least.
We'll be using kerosene in one form or another for long haul flights until at least 2100, but liquid hydrogen for regional/domestic will absolutely become a thing, as will electrical and hybrid propulsion for lower range regional/domestic.
I doubt we'll ever see a blended wing body design, but we will see interesting tweaks like the Boeing/NASA high aspect ratio trussed wing demonstrator entering service.
SolutionBorn8823@reddit
Not very different from now, more efficient plane and maybe commercial flights with electric or hydrogen powered plane.