Hey guys/gals,

Anyone out there know a person who works at INSITU with the UAVs (Scan Eagle)? I have a few questions about the company, life in the Pacific Northwest, hiring etc.

If you do, send me a message or just post on this thread... I am interested in lining up employment so when I get out of the AF I have something to do.

I am a CFII with 700 hours working a non flying officer job in the Air Force. Looking to get out to do something more exciting than cubicle land. I like flying, but I also like UAVs too.

Let me know if you can.

Thanks guys!

 

A.K.A. a USAF officer who is also a CFI on the side?

How would you work for a civi contractor if you are still on active duty?

 

I'm currently typing this from a "forward deployed location" as an FSR for Insitu. Do a thread search for "INSITU", top left of the page. I've answered a few questions previously. PM me if you have any questions that I have not already answered.

 

My bad, USAF is definetly my full time job. I keep my sanity by flight instructing.

Gunner, thanks for the info in your previous posts.

 

I dealt with them briefly when I was a college intern with Evergreen Helicopters in OR.

We were working with them setting up Evergreens Unmanned Services division. They were a small company but they seemed to enjoy what they were doing. They really liked the Scan Eagle and seemed to have good management and direction. If you can get a foot in the door, and UAV ops seems to be a good way you want to go, I would say give them a try.

If you are open to the east coast part of the US I would also recommend Aurora Flight Science. They do some good stuff and they also have some full size company planes that you may be able to help out in.

 

Insitu was bought by Boeing about a year and a half ago, so they have some money behind them for their research, now. I have a very good fellow pilot who works for them, loves it, and can't say enough good things about it. As an FSR you do not HAVE to live in the Bingen / White Salmon area, as you are sent out on your trips from where you live. However, you will have to train there for a few months so save some money for a hotel in that or the Hood River, OR area.

Work wise, you can pick up anywhere from 2 week to 12 month rotations with different customers all of which pay different rates. The company is growing quickly, has a solid product, and will need quality people who do not mind deploying regularly every few months. IF you had the time to jump ship now, I would do it and try to get in on the ground level of the company if you could.

CD

 

I was in touch with there head guy for a bit, until he found out i was a civilian with no clearance or deployment record. But in a turn of fate, while in groundschool for a 208, I got an interesting package from general atomics.........

 

I did a phone interview with them right before I graduated college in 2006. $30,000 per year, 90 day rotations to fly Predators, and you have to move out to the Mohave.

Maybe things have changed, but $30K is not worth being stuck in Iraq, Afgan, or even our own Mohave for any length of time.

 

there paying enough i wont mind, and its not 30 a year, well well well above that!

 

Well, what are they paying?