Drone pilots world...
 

Whatever..................Pilot's don't want to do this job. The problem will continue until you stop putting people in the Box (STS) that would rather be in the cockpit. Most pilots would rather get out than to fly that garbage.

Shack. :cool:

:rolleyes: Wahhhhhhh!!

I had to take out a bad guy with a maverick and then go to my kid's soccer game when I got done!!!!!!

Would he rather go back to a tent and skype his kid about his soccer game? Maybe he'd rather launch the maverick with someone shooting back - that would make it easier. :rolleyes:

What a joke.

As a CSAR guy, I have zero sympathy for these clowns. They claim to be battle hardened warriors, last time I checked they haven't had to scrub blood out of their boots, actually see the faces of the people shooting at them, fly every single day in a deployment with ZERO time off, or go to their friends funerals. I, unfortunately, have done all those things I've mentioned. I could play Call of Duty, and get the same level combat experience that the UAV guys have seen. Stress? yeah right.

Airgunner,

Most of these guys are ex-fighter types who would MUCH rather be down range in the action than "flying" from a cubicle North of Las Vegas.

Many have combat experience in the A-10 and F-15/16 and would give almost anything to go back.

I think the Air Force will see most get out as soon as they can leave.

My rant wasn't directed to those in the UAV community that have some "O-1" time more towards the initial entry UAV "pilot" and "sensor operator" types that I have ran into. On a side note, to compare what the fighter jock does compared to those of us down in the lower elevations constantly in helicopters is comparing apples to oranges. No disrespect intended to my high altitude, g pulling brothers, we have our way of doing business, they have theirs. A gunner loves his CAS BTW :D However, I agree that most of the real pilots forced into the UAV community can't wait to pull chocks and if I was in their shoes I'd do the same.

Why do RPA's have to be 'piloted' by actual pilots? In other words, why can't it just be another job to be filled by non-pilot enlisted/officer personnel? I know that pilots are often some of the best and brightest in the military world, but I have to believe that there are tons of smart and capable people that would want to be RPA pilots, just like there are smart and capable people who would want to do whatever other job. People get trained to do all kinds of difficult and challenging things in the military without prior experience. Do that here, and let pilots continue to fill the seats in an airplane.

I guess because except for actually sitting in the seat, the RPA/RPV 'pilot' is operating a machine in the air which is sharing space with every other machine in the air, following the SPINS, dealing with airspace and controllers, etc... just like a regular pilot sitting in his cockpit. They need specialized aviation training. In any case - at almost every level I suspect, there are special training paths now for UAVs of every shape and size.

USMCFLYR

Like USMCFLYR said, that's fine right up until the RPA starts sharing airspace with manned aircraft. RPA's may be disposable but airliners and other manned aircraft are not.