Originally Posted by
Scubidopapa
Keep in mind that the guys flying the pred/reaper are doing so as Instrument rated commercial pilots or military equivalent. Most small drones are just cool toys flown by a guy with a controller, not by an actual pilot.
Yep, understood. There are a couple defense contractor gigs flying ScanEagles deployed overseas doing ISR work (more of mid size drone, smaller than preds but bigger than the off the shelf amateur things). They require Comm/instrument pilot ratings to get hired to fly them (or military drone Quals). They’re still decently smaller than Preds and Global Hawks though so wasn’t sure if CBP would value that time from a drone perspective.