[pasta]

Trump tweeted that planes have become too complicated and that the old and simple form is much better.

His tweet sounds dumb but there is some truth in it.

As you say, planes and procedures have become very complicated. And I think there are only two options: making planes simple again which make them less efficient or let computers fly the plane and make the interface simple(r).

If you look at the rockets of SpaceX then you can say they are the extreme form of fly by wire and very instable when it comes to aerodynamics. But computers can land them within centimeters when they fall out of space.

So maybe that will be the future. Planes that are very efficient instable flying 'rockets' that are controlled by computers.

[erokar]

> His tweet sounds dumb but there is some truth in it.

There really isn't. Automation is part of what has made flying safer over the years. Also, compare the cockpit of an Airbus with e.g. an old B737, the 300 series for instance. The Airbus cockpit is much simpler, in the sense that there are less gauges and knobs for the pilots to be concerned about. Automation has, over all, made things simpler and safer.

[theoh]

Citation needed, please.

The most convincing popular article I've read on this topic is https://www.vanityfair.com/news/business/2014/10/air-france-...

It's far from clear-cut that the way automation is happening is advisable, however conservative it might appear to be, and I'm sure you'd agree that there are many confounding variables that make it difficult to say just what is responsible for the trajectory of aircraft safety. There's not much of a control group of advanced modern aircraft which omit automated features.