The same as the number of KC-135 pilots lost in combat.

I wouldn't propose to lecture you on anything about airline flying; I welcome you insights, and I believe you have a great deal of wisdom to offer in that area. It would be pretentious of me to assume that I could speak with authority on flying for the airlines, because I have not done so.

On a completely unrelated note, you were talking about flying in combat?

 

No, I was talking about flying airplanes vs. flying drones. I took the original post to be asking about eventually getting a job flying for an airline. If that is the goal, the reserve job I would recommend would be flying an airplane, to build flying time, over a drone.

I was -asking- if the airlines consider drone time, as flight time, and how many drone pilots have been killed while flying combat missions.

 

May 3, 2013

Tech. Sgt. Herman Mackey III, 30, of Bakersfield, Calif.

Capt. Victoria Ann Pinckney, 27, of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Capt. Mark Tyler Voss, 27, of Boerne, Texas


Respectfully

 

Are you looking for 100 hrs in the last year? If you are, and your an IP you could take your form 8s down to the FAA and get your cfi and keep flying that way. Also if you don't want to deploy any more look at the C5, they mobilize and fly out of home station. I'm considering it myself but it's about a 6 month transition and right now I need to hammer out my ATP.
Good luck!!

 

I'm with my fellow TOAD Timbo.

I can't believe any pilot is comparing drone time at zero altitude and zero airspeed to the risk faced by any "real" pilot, combat or otherwise, to include tanker clowns.

Good luck with everything, Heron. Sounds like you've got it all figured out.

I sincerely hope the airlines continue their policy of regarding any drone time as worthless.

 

Sincere apologies, I did not know about that one

 

Well that went south quickly...

I've flown both, including a certain little twin with Huggy a few years back.

To the OP: you're right, it isn't like real flying. However, a lot of dudes do it in the guard/reserve side because the mission is growing, and so there are tons of man days to get paid with WHILE they build hours at a regional.

On the flip side, the active duty tanker community (and most other airframes) are crying for help from their guard/reserve bros as well, so there is quite a bit of flying to be done if you're willing to deploy. The EARS (deployed squadron) would only be too happy to have guys like you come out and build experience while living in the five-star accommodations at the CC at a certain desert locale.

If you have specific questions about RPAs, PM me. And yes I did eventually leave RPAs if that says anything...

 

It did, I contributed to the problem, and I will stop

PM sent

Any gouge on the guard/reserve/application process is appreciated, BL is that I need to feed the family and pay the mortage while I work on (hopefully) getting the golden ticket.

Along those lines, apparently the combat aviation advisor (CAA) reserve squadron is going to be hiring. Has anyone here managed to do that and fly for the airlines? Seems like a tall order, but I'd definitely consider it if it's workable.

 

No one in this thread compared the two. Read them again. No one has ever said flying RPAs is "risky" or death-defying. They do claim, however, that they've saved a ton of Army and USMC lives, killed a boat load of terrorists, and contributed to the capture of many high-value targets. Perhaps that's not worthy of respect in YOUR world, but it is in mine.

I also have a good friend with a DFC and purple heart from his days flying MH-53 Pave Lows. He's now in the RPA world. I doubt you'd have the stones to tell him that he's not a "real" pilot anymore.

 

This thread is getting way off course so I thought I'd quote the original question, the one I was replying to, r.e. Drone time.

If Scraggly Heron's end goal is to 'get hired by the airlines', why would he even consider flying Drones?

I then asked if the airlines consider Drone time as Flight time? If not, why would you do it? To stay home every night?

Heron, do you know what an airline pilot's job description is?

Here's a hint; You will be on the road a lot, better get used to it.