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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With National Geographic Writer Michael Klesius

Aired December 13, 2003 - 14:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, that's where we've been. Now, we are we going in aviation? Let's talk to Michael Klesius a writer for "National Geographic" magazine, which this month, December, is chronicling flying and aviation. He joins us from our Washington bureau. Good to see you Michael.
MICHAEL KLESIUS, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right, well we have seen that aviation has evolved quite a bit. Fr ordinary Americans, who just know commercial flights by its size and its sophistication of. Where do you see aviation, or particularly, commercial flights? How do you see it evolving?

KLESIUS: In the December issue we take a good look at that question, and we're seeing aviation evolving into an extremely efficient industry. It was ironic that we would be celebrating 100 years of flight in a year in which aviation, commercial aviation, is in the tank, and has been for some time, certainly since September 11th. The airlines are desperately trying to make their business model a lot more efficient.

WHITFIELD: So efficient in what way? What might be some of the modifications?

KLESIUS: The airbus A380 would be one great example. It is an enormous airplane that the Europeans are producing it is going to fly in 2006 and it is just going to carry more people. It's also got computers that are helping a lot of automation in the cockpit. And taking stress off the pilots, all of these things help the bottom line of the airlines.

WHITFIELD: Because already we're seeing that, some planes are essentially taking off and landing on their own. The pilots, perhaps, only have to worry about once they're in flight. Do you see that this is, perhaps moving in the direction of commercial flights going pilot- less? Completely?

KLESIUS: That question is as much a psychological question as a technological one. One pilot told me that modern cockpits are so automated they only require a pilot and a dog. The pilot's job is to feed the dog. And the dog's job is to bite the pilot if he touches anything.

WHITFIELD: That's a terrible insult.

KLESIUS: It's hard to say how long it will be before there are pilot-less commercial airplanes. Possibly in our lifetime we may see cargo plane, DHL, or Federal Express, those flights pilot-less that could help the bottom line of the cargo companies.

WHITFIELD: And it may ultimately make it cheaper for consumers as well?

KLESIUS: That's right, it could make it cheaper, you wouldn't have to pay a pilot on a regular basis.

WHITFIELD: How about military aviation, I mean they always seem, military airplanes always seem to be a lot more sophisticated obviously and a step above what ordinary citizens are used to. How much further could they possibly evolve?

KLESIUS: The military as we all know has already gone pilot-less with the unmanned aerial vehicle, which has made a big splash in recent years. Those, as one pilot told me, when one of those gets shot down you don't have a P.O.W. on the 6:00 news. They do their job very well without the fatigue problems a pilot onboard would experience.

WHITFIELD: And we're looking at some of the images that are appearing in your magazine this month, from fighter jets to just previous before that, almost looking like some sort of AWAC, or maybe even a stealth fighter?

KLESIUS: That's right, while a computer is revolutionizing aviation; it's actually changing the shape of military planes more so than commercial airplanes. Stealth shapes, like the FA 22 on the cover of the "National Geographic" this month, is a fundamentally unsteady shape and it requires computers to keep it flying straight and level.

WHITFIELD: For ordinary citizens, a lot of folks always kind of fantasize when they would watch the Jetsons, hoping that one day they too, would be able be to have this little vehicle, this little car- like vehicle that fly's, just one or two passengers onboard. Are we getting any closer that that? I remember people thinking, oh, the year 2000! By that point we'll have those.

KLESIUS: Right. Well you are preaching to the choir. I'm looking for that in my lifetime, too. And there are some dreamers at NASA who are pretty convincing about little airplanes for rest of us. So keep your eyes toward that.

(AUDIO GAP)

WHITFIELD: Michael Klesius thanks very much, with "National Geographic." And we'll, of course, be able to consult "National Geographic" this month the December issue, to help us commemorate 100 years in flight. Thanks very much.

KLESIUS: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired December 13, 2003 - 14:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, that's where we've been. Now, we are we going in aviation? Let's talk to Michael Klesius a writer for "National Geographic" magazine, which this month, December, is chronicling flying and aviation. He joins us from our Washington bureau. Good to see you Michael.
MICHAEL KLESIUS, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right, well we have seen that aviation has evolved quite a bit. Fr ordinary Americans, who just know commercial flights by its size and its sophistication of. Where do you see aviation, or particularly, commercial flights? How do you see it evolving?

KLESIUS: In the December issue we take a good look at that question, and we're seeing aviation evolving into an extremely efficient industry. It was ironic that we would be celebrating 100 years of flight in a year in which aviation, commercial aviation, is in the tank, and has been for some time, certainly since September 11th. The airlines are desperately trying to make their business model a lot more efficient.

WHITFIELD: So efficient in what way? What might be some of the modifications?

KLESIUS: The airbus A380 would be one great example. It is an enormous airplane that the Europeans are producing it is going to fly in 2006 and it is just going to carry more people. It's also got computers that are helping a lot of automation in the cockpit. And taking stress off the pilots, all of these things help the bottom line of the airlines.

WHITFIELD: Because already we're seeing that, some planes are essentially taking off and landing on their own. The pilots, perhaps, only have to worry about once they're in flight. Do you see that this is, perhaps moving in the direction of commercial flights going pilot- less? Completely?

KLESIUS: That question is as much a psychological question as a technological one. One pilot told me that modern cockpits are so automated they only require a pilot and a dog. The pilot's job is to feed the dog. And the dog's job is to bite the pilot if he touches anything.

WHITFIELD: That's a terrible insult.

KLESIUS: It's hard to say how long it will be before there are pilot-less commercial airplanes. Possibly in our lifetime we may see cargo plane, DHL, or Federal Express, those flights pilot-less that could help the bottom line of the cargo companies.

WHITFIELD: And it may ultimately make it cheaper for consumers as well?

KLESIUS: That's right, it could make it cheaper, you wouldn't have to pay a pilot on a regular basis.

WHITFIELD: How about military aviation, I mean they always seem, military airplanes always seem to be a lot more sophisticated obviously and a step above what ordinary citizens are used to. How much further could they possibly evolve?

KLESIUS: The military as we all know has already gone pilot-less with the unmanned aerial vehicle, which has made a big splash in recent years. Those, as one pilot told me, when one of those gets shot down you don't have a P.O.W. on the 6:00 news. They do their job very well without the fatigue problems a pilot onboard would experience.

WHITFIELD: And we're looking at some of the images that are appearing in your magazine this month, from fighter jets to just previous before that, almost looking like some sort of AWAC, or maybe even a stealth fighter?

KLESIUS: That's right, while a computer is revolutionizing aviation; it's actually changing the shape of military planes more so than commercial airplanes. Stealth shapes, like the FA 22 on the cover of the "National Geographic" this month, is a fundamentally unsteady shape and it requires computers to keep it flying straight and level.

WHITFIELD: For ordinary citizens, a lot of folks always kind of fantasize when they would watch the Jetsons, hoping that one day they too, would be able be to have this little vehicle, this little car- like vehicle that fly's, just one or two passengers onboard. Are we getting any closer that that? I remember people thinking, oh, the year 2000! By that point we'll have those.

KLESIUS: Right. Well you are preaching to the choir. I'm looking for that in my lifetime, too. And there are some dreamers at NASA who are pretty convincing about little airplanes for rest of us. So keep your eyes toward that.

(AUDIO GAP)

WHITFIELD: Michael Klesius thanks very much, with "National Geographic." And we'll, of course, be able to consult "National Geographic" this month the December issue, to help us commemorate 100 years in flight. Thanks very much.

KLESIUS: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com