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Three new enlisted pilots graduate. Last Air Force enlisted pilot retired in 1957; last Navy enlisted pilot retired in 1981. Is this a sign of the future of military aviation with unmanned aircraft performing all types of combat and support missions? Lower cost aircraft and lower cost pilots.
first-enlisted-rpa-pilots-graduate
Posted from airforcetimes.com
Drones
Pilot
Enlisted
Warrant Officers
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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Yes. 2016 was the year of driverless consumer vehicles. 2017-2018 the year of pilotless transport.
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Lt Col Jim Coe
I can see delivering cargo in an RPA, but I'm not signing up for a flight without a human in the cockpit. Also imagine several logistical problems with cargo aircraft without crews in terms of loading, unloading, and servicing at remote locations. But if the RPA is basically a pilotless flying truck, maybe the Army or Marines would be willing to unload their own stuff.
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SN Greg Wright
Lt Col Jim Coe - I have the same reservations, but I suspect that the choice will be taken from you within a decade or two -- they're all going to be unmanned.
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Read the article carefully. Note that two Master Sergeants and one Technical Sergeant completed drone pilot training. So far they will be assigned to fly unarmed drones doing reconnaissance. Their training consisted of primary flying training in a Diamond Aviation (DA)-20. A very light weight, single engine, side-by-side seating, aircraft. Best way I can describe it is cute. The next phase of their training was in a T-6 Texan II simulator to learn instrument flying. Modern simulators are great and the T-6 sim is probably a very good tool for teaching instrument flying safely and cheaply. Apparently they then moved on to learning to fly drones.
Photos of graduates show them wearing two sets of wings. Anybody know what Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Pilot wings look like?
I think the RPA community is a good place for the Air Force to start an aviation warrant officer program. It would provide higher pay than enlisted pay for RPA pilots, but still be less costly than commissioned officers. It provides a pathway for NCOs with or without a bachelors degree to become an officer. Also, allows civilians to enter the AF with specific and specialized mission to fly drones as WOs. After WWII the Air Force offered all their enlisted pilots the opportunity to become Warrant Officers. Most of them took the offer. Later the Air Force phased out the Warrant Officers and they were nearly all gone by the time I was commissioned in 1969.
Photos of graduates show them wearing two sets of wings. Anybody know what Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Pilot wings look like?
I think the RPA community is a good place for the Air Force to start an aviation warrant officer program. It would provide higher pay than enlisted pay for RPA pilots, but still be less costly than commissioned officers. It provides a pathway for NCOs with or without a bachelors degree to become an officer. Also, allows civilians to enter the AF with specific and specialized mission to fly drones as WOs. After WWII the Air Force offered all their enlisted pilots the opportunity to become Warrant Officers. Most of them took the offer. Later the Air Force phased out the Warrant Officers and they were nearly all gone by the time I was commissioned in 1969.
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Outstanding accomplishment, and graphic display of the concept of supply and demand. Overall pilot shortage has opened up a whole new career path for enlisted. Demand for RPA pilots isn't going to lessen any time soon.
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