My first year working as a mariner the M/V Bright Field lost power & crashed into the New Orleans River Walk. I was directly across the river just north of Boliger Shipyard doing fleet work. A big adventure for an 18 year old kid working the Mississippi River on a 60’ pushboat. All south bound traffic going around Algiers Point must call Gretna Light for instructions on how to proceed. All north bound traffic must call Governor Nicholas Light on how to go around the point northbound. But none of that helped the pilot nor the doomed ship. The Bright Field lost power, the pilot really didn’t do anything but was portrayed as a hero in the local media regardless of the damage to the River Walk Mall. Turns out no one on the Bright Field could speak a lick of English & the local populace felt comfortable having a local representative on board to tell the Chinese on how to crash their powerless ship properly. I get that. IMO, pilot associations need to start harping this concept to the people now if they want to keep their jobs.
That ship would have crashed long before it got to the CCC if it didn’t have a pilot on it, even with the engine still running. Just like probably every other ship that goes up and down there.
Houston gets the press, but in my experience the river is a bigger challenge. Had more pucker factor there over the years than just about anywhere else. Wasn’t helped back in the day that a handful of NOBRA pilots were just not very good. Sure that has changed over the years.
A sometimes narrow winding river where current can get up to 6 knots, navigated by huge ships with captains from all over the world, many of the with very limited English abilities floating on questionable machinery.. I don’t think Mississippi River Pilots have much to worry about AI taking their jobs.
The Bulk Carrier fleet is not known for fielding the brightest sparks at sea.
We used to send pilots to Vicksburg to validate their simulator models for differing scenarios. One week the Mississippi pilots were trying out simulator. Mississippi pilots were working the morning shift and the Houston pilots had the afternoon session. We would come early to stand in the back looking at their screens just innocently chatting… “Where is that?” “I think it’s the English channel.” “See on the left horizon… I think that’s the white cliffs of Dover.” “Nah, that’s the Straits of Gibralter.” In good fun. It is a tricky place when the river is running. And the tows; they filled up the bends sometimes. I had a lot of puckerish moments up the river.
One thing though. I always felt part of my job was to make the captain feel comfortable with my piloting. If he stood up and announced he was going to his stateroom to do “paperwork” I took it as a complement. Maybe some of the lack of puckering had to do with the skill of the association. 
Funny story, but in real life the master should stay on the bridge during pilotage. If he leaves, the chief mate takes over – not the pilot.
Those were the old days… today it sounds more like a non-conformity than a compliment. 
And honestly, I don’t get the remarks about Dover or Gibraltar. Such scenarios are usually used for radar/ARPA training in high traffic areas – that’s training for watch officers, not for pilots.
thanks Captain - said before - sure it has changed - but way back there were a couple of NOBRA pilots that really should have found other ways to make a living.
Down river, with a 4 kt current is always a bit of a sleigh ride.
To me one of the biggest things i watched for on the pilots was not their ship driving - it was how good were they on the radio - how well were they planning on where they were going to meet or pass the other tonnage - especially the tows. There were lots of places where you really didn’t want to meet or pass anyone - ( yea like those tows flanking the bend ) - the pilots that were the most active here - doing the most planning always gave me the most confidence.
Not blowing smoke - but not sure I ever had a Houston Pilot I ever felt uncomfortable with. There were probably a few that were uncomfortable with me as I tried my hand on driving through the ditch.