Go get your drone license

[aviatoreb]

Looks like the drone industry is heating up and there is a real deficit of drone pilots.  And apparently it pays really well so says this article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/us/air-force-drones-terrorism-isis.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

 

[1964-M20E]

We should have an advantage we are already pilots. 

 

Where do we apply?  Maybe a special AF officer commission to boot.

 

 

 

 

[Mooneymite]

Drones for surveillance and spying is a good use of this technology.  However, "remote killing" by faceless people in dark rooms thousands of miles from the battlefield seems Orwellian, and immoral to me.

I hesitate to ponder where all this might lead.

[kortopates]

I couldn't get to the article but I know a drone pilot who is also a Mooney pilot and I also know the second in command at Ft Huachuca which I understand is one of the military's largest drone training and testing base. He is also a Mooney pilot and may even weigh in here. Those of you who have attended a MAPA PPP in AZ the last few years know whom I am speaking of.

For a civilian drone pilot you needed a commercial license since you were piloting for hire. But the interesting thing was how the Army trained enlisted men to do the job - putting them through a full FAA pilot ground school training. On the other hand, the AF didn't train new pilots but drew on current pilots - I heard mostly fighter pilots at the time. Makes you think the enlisted army pilots are much more motivated than the AF guys that would naturally prefer to be doing real flying.

But of course this has been going on a long time now. And although it may seem Orwellian to some, the good thing about it is that the men and women that operate these oversees from home in the US get to go home to their families every night without really ever being in harms ways. I am not going to debate the philosophical side of that but I am all for reducing risk to our service men and woman; especially when a UAV can do the job.

Also from what I recall, although the UAV's are highly automated, the UAV pilots take off and land them mostly by hand using cameras and standard instruments.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[N601RX]

I had a friend who flew drones in Afghanistan for a few years. He was a low time private pilot with around 100 hrs total. He had to sign a 18 month contract and went through 3 months training here in the U.S.  He lived on a military base over there and everything was provided for him. The pay was around $150k a few years ago. I think he stayed for 3 years.   

He had to get a commercial license once he moved back to the U.S.  

[peevee]

" Finding pilots was difficult. They typically work long hours in windowless rooms staring at computer monitors and do not get many days off "

 

I do that already, where do i sign up?

[Jerry 5TJ]

FAA 107

It might help to start by getting the Part 107 certification.  That's for commercial drone operations but for drones under 55 pounds.

Said to take about 2 hours via on-line training.  

 

[peevee]

7 hours ago, Jerry 5TJ said:

FAA 107

It might help to start by getting the Part 107 certification.  That's for commercial drone operations but for drones under 55 pounds.

Said to take about 2 hours via on-line training.  

 

in all seriousness the high paying jobs i've seen all want like 1k hours on a preditor drone. aka prior military. are there opportunities out there if i do go through the process?