Controlling Planes From the Ground...

After the Germanwings Flight 9525 crash, many people asked what I thought about ground based operations that could take control of the airplane to avoid an event like this.

My answer: only if you want to open the skies to the greatest terrorist threat possible.

While I saw the potential for a mental health breakdown, and wrote the novel Flight For Control,  the reality is that pilots are strong, competent and responsible people with a vested interest on the plane and families on the ground. We must make sure they stay that way, and continue to give complete control to the flightdeck.



We must also must remember, this event was an anomaly, and not the norm for thousands of flights daily. To create regulation, or change processes that could cause more harm than good, is something our industry should think about.

With boarding security strong, once the plane is airborne the terrorists are left behind, and have no access to the plane. However, if we open up the opportunity for someone on the ground to take control of our airborne aircraft, then anyone who breaks into the ground-based facility can control the planes. All of them. Thousands of them. Do you want to be flying and have the risk of ground-based takeover, to control your plane while you're airborne? I don't.

All it would take is one group to access the facility, and they have control over the entire system. One group. One facility. Thousands of aircraft in jeopardy. Millions of lives.

My vote is to allow the pilots to keep control in the airplane! And this brings me to the concern of the unmanned aircraft systems... not a good thing when lives are at stake.