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06-25-2017, 07:43 AM

#11

Hobbit64

Gets Weekends Off

Joined APC: Sep 2009

Posts: 595

Quote:

Originally Posted by C130driver

They (RPAs) are a huge pain in the a$$ to other traffic in Afghanistan and other AORs. Too many near misses to count. Before pilot training all the propaganda Nazis were saying how every pilot will fly RPAs in their Air Force careers and how it is the "wave of the future," several years later most pilots I know in the AF will retire without ever having flown one. (FWIW they do an amazing job at specific mission sets and killing bad guys.)

Anyone who thinks autonomous airliners are on the horizon for anyone actually flying today is smoking some special type of dope.

Yep!!!
I Hated hearing they were in a stack.

06-25-2017, 06:31 PM

#12

HuggyU2

Get me outta here...

Thread Starter

Joined APC: Oct 2008

Position: Boeing right seat

Posts: 1,541

Quote:

Originally Posted by UAL T38 Phlyer

I believe in the first four years, they lost 12 out of 30.

That number seems high, but did you know the first crash of the RQ-4 (the #2 vehicle, IIRC) was due to a test going on at Nellis, where they practiced sending the "flight terminate" signal... and they didn't know there was an RQ-4 over China Lake and within signal range?

Yes, the RQ-4 at 40-something-thousand feet received the terminate command, and dutifully stopped flying and spun into the Earth... just like it was supposed to. Well done!!

And, yes, it had some expensive sensors on board (EO and ASARS).

Brilliant.

06-25-2017, 08:39 PM

#13

UAL T38 Phlyer

Moderate Moderator

Joined APC: Mar 2008

Position: Curator at Static Display

Posts: 5,681

No, did not know about that!

The numbers are from an Aviation Week article I read early in the program, ie long ago, and ie, I may be off. At the time, the Navy was debating getting into the program.

The lasting impressions on me from the article: 1. I was astounded at the loss rate percentage (I could see that happening with a Pred, flying a piston in lower-altitude weather), and 2. I think they were about $30 million each.

06-26-2017, 04:05 AM

#14

Otterbox

Gets Weekends Off

Joined APC: Oct 2015

Position: Gear slinger

Posts: 2,895

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumble

The bigger question is how many of these things crash that we don't hear about because it's not so public?

The model airplane club is alive and well.

2-3 of the smaller ones (if not more) seem to crash every quarter overseas...