What do you think about having enlisted drone pilots in the USAF?

Same with drone pilots, as well, I'd also expect....

I hadn't seen the aspect of no enlisted weapon director's on AWACS, to me, at least, that seems unusual, though, certainly, warrants, as mentioned here, could certainly be a quite viable solution, I should think, you know?

A few years ago Nissan partnered with Polyphony Digital, the company that brought us nerds the Gran Turismo series of games, to create a worldwide competition. Gamers would compete in-game with lap times, and be placed on a global standing tracker. This went on with smaller and smaller qualifying groups, and finalized with a group of 12 going to Nissan’s proving ground and holding a contest for the opportunity to become a licensed racing driver. I think they’ve held it twice so far, and have come through with capable, competitive drivers added to their roster who have started successful racing careers, with little to no experience other than playing online.
This isn’t to say pilots should be found online, just that they may be found in a variety of places.

The "total airmen concept" applies here. It was stated earlier that more enlisted folks have a BA or Masters degree with great leadership/management training and experience. Applicant competition will be awesome and lose nothing in transfer. The attitude should be that of fair coach, "The best players will play, period."

I think it's a step in the right direction, but the Air Force should be the same as the other services and offer WO pilots, and other avenues of promotion and pilot training than a 4 year degree/academy.

I will give my honest opinion, I am befuddled to no end at the grades used in the USAF for the duties that get done in other services. I have had maintenance platoons larger than some USAF units that are commanded by people far senior to me. I don't get it? How can the Army fly its helicopter fleet on WO's and the Air Force can't. How could the Army guard its nuclear units with Captain )-3 as the commander, and the Air Force can't. the grade inflation in the USAF is unreal, so back to the original question, I see no reason other to preserve officer billets.

Gonna piss off a bunch of prima donna flight suits.......if Sergeant Smith can 'fly' and Abrams, he can fly a drone......too much overpaid help in the Air Force. Top Aces in WWII where Flight Sergeants in the British Air Force. Just like everything else, we have inflated both the ego and the pay grade overtime.

Ah, the joy of a liberal arts education:


If you’re the parent of a tween, be warned: your cautious 10-year-old is bound to turn into a wild child in a few short years, with seemingly no regard whatsoever for safety. Indeed, teenagers have the double the risk of dying compared to their preteen selves.

Adults have long reckoned with ways to protect adolescents from their own misjudgments. Only recently, however, have researchers really begun to understand how the teen brain is wired and that some of what appear to be teens’ senseless choices may result from biological tendencies that also prime their brains to learn and be flexible.

Take teens’ perception of risk. It’s certainly different from that of adults, but not in the ways you’d expect. Research shows, for instance, that teens tend to wildly overestimate certain risks — of things like unprotected sex and drug use — not to lowball them as one would predict. So, it may be that teens’ notorious risk-taking behavior stems not from some immunity to known risks, but rather, as a new study now suggests, from their greater tolerance to uncertainty and ambiguity — that is, unknown risks.

http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/02/why-the-teen-brain-is-drawn-to-risk/

I never really understood the requirement that drone pilots needed to be fully qualified aviators considering that drones pretty much take off, land and fly themselves anyways. But overall I think it's a great opportunity for enlisted members.

If they are properly trained, I think it is an excellent move by the Air Force. I think the reasons why one might want an office at the stick of an aircraft are not the same for drone pilots.