Aerial drone on Texas border soon

[brent p h]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...N-drone_28tex.ART.State.Edition1.4c2da2f.html

"The FAA now has to go in and carve out, as I understand it, space for the Predator," she said.:clap:

 

[Blackhawk]

"Soon" fly??? What is it I've been seeing around Juarez?

 

[Minuteman]

It seems to me that, if they can make a robotic car that can race up Pike's Peak using guidance cues from a Vegas buffet of sensors, they can design a UAV that can competently participate in "see and avoid" without monitoring by a platoon of Air Force guys whose dreams of flying were crushed.

 

[Hootie]

they can design a UAV that can competently participate in "see and avoid" without monitoring by a platoon of Air Force guys whose dreams of flying were crushed.

Why does everyone hate on UAV's? I'd do it.

 

[adk]

It seems to me that, if they can make a robotic car that can race up Pike's Peak using guidance cues from a Vegas buffet of sensors, they can design a UAV that can competently participate in "see and avoid" without monitoring by a platoon of Air Force guys whose dreams of flying were crushed.

It'll probably be something similar to the TFR at Grand Forks AFB. When they're running the predator you can fly through the TFR as long as ATC approves it and you have a transponder.

 

[Minuteman]

Why does everyone hate on UAV's? I'd do it.

I don't hate the concept of UAVs. I dislike that the solution for technological shortcomings that result in a reduction in the "situational awareness" normally credited to all other aircraft; namely, the carving-out of airspace. It sounds at least like it's not a totally dysfunctional TFR... maybe more like an Alert area.

It is my understanding that the operators chosen for remotely-operated vehicles are chosen from the same pool of candidates who potentially go on to other traditional flying slots. For me, it would be disappointing to want to fly and end up with a bunch of video screens and the 60Hz hum of fluorescent lights.

 

[Murdoughnut]

We need to call up those MIT kids who launched the balloon camera - they could probably patrol our border for $3k a year.

 

[N99999]

Will it be equipped with hellfires? :rawk:

 

[Hootie]

Will it be equipped with hellfires? :rawk:

Of course! But you will not be able to use them unless you are fatally wounded.

 

[TXaviator]

Of course! But you will not be able to use them unless you are fatally wounded.

whatever i have that as my 5-kill streak perk.

chumps.

 

[fholbert]

"The FAA now has to go in and carve out, as I understand it, space for the Predator," she said.:clap:

This?

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/04/29/20100429mesa-boeing-jobs-coming.html#ixzz0mXS3WDbM

 

[Hacker15e]

Why does everyone hate on UAV's? I'd do it.

If you'd flown the T-6 and T-38 for a couple hundred hours, that would be clear.

It's a phenomenal letdown for guys who have been reared as 'pilots' -- especially the single-seat, stick-and-rudder variety -- to be relegated to flying remotely.

In a conversation yesterday with someone in the AF training command leadership, this officer basically said that he AF's strategy to combat the 'hating on' UAVs is to wait it out; to wait for the expectations of the pilots to change, rather than to try and placate the current generation of pilots relegated to this task.

Guess you can do that in an economy where there's no place else for pilots to go, and if they do there is always 'stop loss'. What a wonderful volunteer military we sometimes are.

 

[TXaviator]

Hacker - maybe I don't know the story, but are they taking pilot trainees and then bait/switch and saying "oh jk, here's a UAV to fly!" ???

if so, thats pretty weak. shame on them.

 

[MikeD]

Hacker - maybe I don't know the story, but are they taking pilot trainees and then bait/switch and saying "oh jk, here's a UAV to fly!" ???

if so, thats pretty weak. shame on them.

Theres not a bait and switch. What he's saying though is that everyone goes to UPT now knowing that a UAV is a possibility. What sucks, is when you get shafted with that possibility. You go through pilot training flying the T-6 and T-38/T-1, only to get a UAV afterwards. The AF has promised that those UAV people will do a tour and go back to real airplanes, but I'll believe it when I see it.........

And stop loss..........legalized kidnapping by the military. You get to the end of your service committment and can leave, but are forced to stay in due to need. One day a voluntary military member, the next day you're a draftee.

 

[TXaviator]

oh yuck so they put you through flight training and then give you a UAV sometimes from the lottery? bogussss.

why not train UAV guys to...fly UAV's and not waste the money on flight training then?!

 

[MikeD]

oh yuck so they put you through flight training and then give you a UAV sometimes from the lottery? bogussss.

why not train UAV guys to...fly UAV's and not waste the money on flight training then?!

The AF wants all UAV guys to be "real pilots" first. Although a test program has gone through with training guys with a little bit of flying time, then doing UAV direct, so they can be permanent UAV pilots.

Fine, so long as they don't wear the same wings as those who completed UPT do.

 

[Okie_Pilot]

The AF wants all UAV guys to be "real pilots" first. Although a test program has gone through with training guys with a little bit of flying time, then doing UAV direct, so they can be permanent UAV pilots.

Fine, so long as they don't wear the same wings as those who completed UPT do.

Hey MikeD,

I remember awhile back that the "pilots" of the UAV's were getting paid flightpay while the "weapons officer?" that sat right next to them was not. Did they resolve that issue or was I reading B.S. to begin with?

 

[MikeD]

Hey MikeD,

I remember awhile back that the "pilots" of the UAV's were getting paid flightpay while the "weapons officer?" that sat right next to them was not. Did they resolve that issue or was I reading B.S. to begin with?

Pilots were getting the same flight pay that they were always getting, since they were winged, rated officers.

The sensor operator sitting next to them weren't getting flight pay because most of them didn't have aircrew wings, they had come from something else or were original SOs and had never been to any aircrew school or anything like that, so they really didn't merit the pay, which I agree with. However, there should be some sort of incentive pay, which I think is being worked out if it hasn't already.