A good friend has a son in pilot training with the Air Force. He’s leaning toward the C-17 now in part because he’s not crazy about the way the Air Force is treating fighter pilots right now. Many are being shunted to “flying” Predators. The way it works is that a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) is really an RPV (remotely piloted vehicle) and the Air Force, rightly I think, insists they be operated by licensed pilots.
As is pointed out in this article,
[M]any Air Force pilots prefer to fly fighter aircraft and look upon the UAV mission as a glorified desk job they try to avoid. Air Force officials admit that could take a change in the traditional “fighter jock” culture
I can completely understand a fighter jock not wanting that job. Someone who wants to fly wants to fly, dammit. I also understand the amazing and vital job UAV/RPVs are doing. Clearly we need pilots for them, too. But remember that one of the significant advantages to an RPV is that the pilot doesn’t need to be an eagle-eyed athlete. So here, for anybody in the USAF out-of-the-box department, is my proposed recruiting message:
The Air Force needs professional pilots to command UAVs. Our standards for professionalism and judgement are just as high as for fighter pilots – but not the physical requirements. If your eyesight isn’t perfect, if you can’t pull gees, even if you’re over 40, then maybe we have the job for you. Because for every hour piloting a UAV on a combat or recon mission, you will have an hour of air time in one of these to keep your chops up.
I think a lot of people would sign up. Good pilots, too.