ProudPilot
Aeronautics Geek
I highly recommend NGC via the recommendations of others. Just hard to get into unless you know the right people.
I am trying to break into the UAS/UAV industry. Anyone working that field? I have exchanged PMs with Proudpilot a bit but having more contacts never hurt anyone.
About me:
Commercial Pilot
Military experience in both aircraft maintenance and security forces.
I believe still active but need to get in touch with my last command to find out for sure.
Perfectly willing to spend a year in Iraq or Afghanistan if it means I help those with boots still on the ground.
I agree with this, but it's more of a DC metro thing. Meetings in other cities tend to be a fair bit smaller.Try and attend AUVSI.
I wouldn't touch AAI with a 10ft pole right now, not after what they did to the last batch of new hires and especially not after their contract debacle.
Insitu, VT Group, and Academi are all hiring UAS operators.
About a year and half ago they spoiled up huge for aerosonde and then got almost totally kicked out of country because they couldn't deliver. Their problem is they don't screen their candidates well. Most of why I wouldn't work for them is because of the wilfully incompetent people they hired at the time.Why do you say that about AAI?
I've got a good friend who works for them - been there a while. He's an instructor now, and heading overseas for another rotation soon. He tells me that as soon as the FAA opens up the planned airspace for UAVs that the business is going to explode overnight.
Ya, that already started. 55 is the new base, sometimes lower. Still, there was one advertising for less than 6 figures deployed. You should aim for at least 130 deployed first time, if not higher.UAV training isn't the biggest hurdle you'll face, actually that's a low hurdle. The biggest issue you'll have is not possessing a clearance. A lot of CONUS jobs will require the eligibility for a TS due to their mission and equipment.
Civilians working state-side can earn six figures but please, please for the love of God work for less than $70. The UAV industry doesn't need a race to the bottom. To be brutally honest, you're going to need to deploy to get into the CONUS jobs so you only think having an airline job is hard on a family.
Good lord...it's already to late.Ya, that already started. 55 is the new base, sometimes lower. Still, there was one advertising for less than 6 figures deployed. You should aim for at least 130 deployed first time, if not higher.
Look, when I started I was told not to work for less than 300 deployed. My highest offer was less than 1/2 that. You know what though, still 3x over stateside, and that does matter. I've asked for higher, but there are a lot of well qualified people at the moment.Good lord...it's already to late.
Months later.... can't*For everyone, the industry is really tight right now. A lot of qualified people and not many jobs. We need the FAA to regulate so we can start to open up. A lot of companies are ready to get going, but can't hire as we can fly CONUS.