KC10 FATboy

I am not so naive to not believe that off in the future UAVs will significantly change the landscape. However, I don't see UAVs populating themselves into traditional flight regimes anytime soon.

I've been to airfields where they mixed UAVs with regular flight ops. What a pain in the you know what that is. We have to sterilize the airfield when a UAV is anywhere near the pattern. Additionally, they keep crashing. Then there is that problem with dip clearances and flying in other countries airspace (let alone the FAA which doesn't like the USAF's UAVs).

There's significant challenges for them and ultimately they'll be solved. But I don't see the airline or the cargo industry changing anytime soon.

USMCFLYR

What do you mean by this?

USMCFLYR

bunk22

Sometimes you get lucky going to 20. I never had plans to stay until 20 but took the 5 year bonus at 10 years due to not being prepared to punch. I moved on to my DH job, a flying billet. Then took a flying billet in Pensacola post DH job...great tour but horrible for promotion. Then to ensure my last tour was a flying job, I volunteered for Iraq. Granted due to an old injury, that was changed to Korea for one year but my last tour is still a flying tour. Maybe a matter of luck on my part or perhaps other services it doesn't work the same. Not making O-5 maybe helped as well, it seems as if there are quite a few flying jobs for us O-4 types.

rickair7777

They are doing a rush-job contract for a UAV helo to provide tactical cargo lift to forward deployed tac units...specifically driven by needs in afghanistan where roads are bad or non-existent. They think a small vertical-lift UAV can deliver small amounts of cargo more cheaply than a large manned helo. The thing can deliver large amounts of cargo doing multiple round trips, and could also casevac in a crunch.

I think there are two versions competing.

This might work well in a sparsely populated area where you control the airspace. If you think about a CH-46 is a bit overkill for a platoon that needs some ammo, MRE's, and water.

But I agree with Fatty...UAV's are going to dominate some military requirements, but they are not going to be carrying military or civilian passengers this century. They may try it with the military, but after a few crashes due to UAV-unique factors congress will outlaw it except in extreme circumstances (ie casevac with no other platform available).

USMCFLYR

I don't know anything about this rush contracts that you speak of so I'll withhold judgment on the viability of this, but some small UAV had better have some good lifting ability if someone thinks it is going to be llifting any useable amount of beans or bullets - - and what is this about casevac? Are we going to strap some injured Marine to the outside of this thing and then remotely control the vehicle to bring him home?

Actually - a CH-46 is exactly what that helo was designed for - squad size aerial lift and tactical assault and resupply.
Wiki says:
I remember working with these at the Mountain Warfare Training Center. Even at those altitudes they could only transport maybe 6 combat loaded Marines.

UAVs are definitely coming of age and we will see unmanned vehicles of ALL kinds becoming more and more prevalent in the near future.

USMCFLYR

rickair7777

That's exactly what they are planning. I'm not sure if the USMC has bought into the casevac idea yet but at least one of the manufacturers is offering the capability. I have mixed feelings about casevac...it might be OK if they use it to make casevac more rapid and available...but if they just use these things to justify removing manned aircraft from the casevac role that would be bad.

It's a real program of record, already in flight testing I think.

USMC developing UAV to re-supply combat forces - MarineCorpsTimes.com

Boeing to demonstrate cargo UAV for U.S. Marine Corps - Military & Aerospace Electronics

I was surprised too when I read about this last year.

rickair7777

It was designed to carry the whole squad. It's more airplane than you need for some light resupply missions. Other than maybe a slick, we don't really anything in inventory sized to resupply small tac teams...something we are doing a lot of.

I can see the utility, but whether they can make it work is another story.

USMCFLYR

ACMC Gen Amos was my second MAG CO in Beaufort when I first showed up.
This is the first I've heard of this project. I knew the Army was doing alot on th GROUND with unmanned ground supply and as far as I know it has yet to be fielded, but Gen Amos is hoping to have something fielded in theater by this summer? If they can do that I might even start believing the F-35B will actually make it to the fleet

USMCFLYR

longhorn1

MC-
I was in your situation about 2 years ago when I started the process. I'm still on active duty today. Timing is everything in aviation. I got my ATP/73 Type, letters of Rec in order, resume, class one physical etc. then the economy tanked and intereviews stopped. Friends of mine that got hired back then are still in the pool waiting to start. In this environment I wouldn't consider seperating without a reserve job as a fall back. I decided to move into a reserve position that will start shortley for that reason. Also, if i stayed active duty i would have probably been sent to a nonflying staff tour. You need recentsy in the cockpit when it comes time to interview. In 3 yrs if airlines are not hiring, you will need to keep flying in some capacity.

There is already lots of great advice on this thread. Other things to consider:

You can get your written ATP done now-I got the prep software at shepard air. It is run by some Air Force reservists. They send you paired down MQF to study at home. I studied it for about a week and didn't miss a question. When you are ready to test, you can do that at most FBOs. Then you have to do the flying portion to get your ATP (i think you have a year before the written expires-I got mine with the type-if you want to go SWA you will need it anyways (saved me $1500 by doing it at the same time).

Start converting your mil flight time now. Since we don't log PIC in the military this can be a chore, but since you're a single seat guy, it won't be that hard.

Wait on the FAA physical. You will need that to interview but it doesn't last very long.

USMCFLYR

The one thing about this is that if you are putting a 1st Class on your resume I would of course recommend that you actually have it; otherwise - it can get to be an expensive endeavor every 6 months

USMCFLYR