Fly by Light

Well it looks like the science fiction is being overtaken by reality. Recently a Gulfstream 550 jet was controlled by a light signal from the cockpit to one of the flying controls. The controls of an aircraft are traditionally moved by the pilots commands being transmitted to the control via a stainless steel cable or aluminum rods. This also involves pulleys and bellcranks to move the cable in the correct direction. Then 'fly by wire' was developed which relies on electrical signals to move the control surfaces. This saved weight and allowed computers to control the aircraft without the traditional cables.
Now we have a signal from the pilots controls changed into a light pulse which is transmitted via fiber optics to a receiver where it is converted back to an electrical signal to move the control. This saves even more weight and is a lot more reliable than an electrical wire which can short or break. There is no danger of losing the signal if even a fraction of the fiber optic cable is left intact after it has been damaged.
If you think this is ground breaking then you will be amazed to learn that in the same experimental aircraft there was a 'fly by wireless' system operating as a back up which as the name suggests has no connection from the cockpit to the control except a radio signal. This has to be the ultimate in weight saving and reliability. When it is fully tested and approved it will be almost unheard of to lose control of the aircraft due to mechanical or hydraulic failure as the systems will not rely on them.