> Automate the pilot out.

That's a complete non-starter for now and the next decades. Fully automated operation for 1-dimensional transport (trains) is a solved issue, for 2D, not so much and most certainly not for 3D.

Even though modern planes are very reliable, too many things can go wrong during flight to leave it to a machine - and for what? Just for bragging rights?

good luck getting most people into a pilotless aircraft as well- there is at least an incentive for the pilots to stay alive

There are whole fleets of unmanned drones being flown by the military today