Quote:
Originally Posted by KC10 FATboy
And don't forget, our sister services are using enlisted to fly UAVs. And I think it is 100% fraud, waste, and abuse of funds to put a rated military pilot in the seat of a UAV.
You are right - and Army WO's are flying manned assets - so it's also fraud, waste, and abuse to have officers flying KC-10's. Between employing GBU-12's in a combat environment in close proximity to US forces (in a complicated SPINs environment with a heightened sensitivity to collateral damage) and flying a coupled ILS, I think there is more responsibility required for the first.
For the record, the enlisted are flying their 36" to 72" wingspan aircraft such as the Shadow. The Warriors are being flown by contractors - I have been in a Warrior GCS in theater. The FAA still thinks it's a requirement for licensed personnel to fly large aircraft in controlled airspace or over populated areas.