An interesting read. I can remember the 1960s when the ICBM guys used to tell us the days of the "airplane" are over. This article "implies" the future for pilots is limited.

Are RPA Pilots the New Normal?

To be fair, the article doesn't even approach implying that the future of pilots is limited; there is absolutely no pilot vs RPA in this article. It talks about the normalization of the RPA career field and the fact that, it the author's opinion, it is becoming accepted as a stand-alone fully vested career field vs just an "alpha" or similar career field.

Honestly, notwithstanding whatever this article says, the future of the career field is still not as solid as the future of RPA themselves. Even now, ACC is still considering a way to jettison their share of RPA operations to whomever will take it.

Livinginmem....what the heck would you know about UAVs? Dork.

ACC is going to end up with one airplane in inventory, it will be a fighter, and it will cost 1 trillion dollars. They'll have four pilots: a pilot in training, two operational pilots (one of them a spare/IP), and the fourth will be the four-star CDR of ACC.

But those four will be really, REALLY good!

Albie, shouldn't you be in Paris? As to the other posts, ACC will somehow find a way to make your scenario the GOOD option compared to their choice.

Sounds like the RAF's Eurofighter pilot cadre two years ago.

Seems like you would replace people who drive trains and container ships before you would replace pilots wholesale. Not sure the facination with remote controlled/self controlled aircraft. Where are my drone trains?!

Several of the larger airports come to mind. Trains run around between terminals all day with no operators.

Unmanned makes a lot less sense in civilian aviation. The pilots salary is only a few bucks of the ticket price so not much cost saving available. For the combat aviator, you have an american life at risk. Or the could get shot down, punch, and wind up on an AQ YouTube vid getting their head chopped off game of thrones style. Plus, somehow we get away with murder (pun intended) with drones that wouldn't fly with manned sorties.