U.S. Air Force Adds Undergrad UAV Training, Makes Drone Pilot a Full-Fledged Career Choice

Now more than ever do we need DARPA-esque digital defense networks. If pilots will eventually be flying their planes remotely then I can only pray we have the defense infrastructure in place to thwart and eliminate any possible digital threats.

Just link those UAV command functions to xbox controllers and you would already have millions of teenagers across the country halfway trained.

That may be fairly sarcastic but it's a scary thought if you give it a little contemplation. Could it be possible that our nation’s game-addicted youth aren't just passing the time with addictive in-home simulations but are instead secretly being trained in warfare techniques for a surprising number of years even before they can even legally drive, much less buy a beer.

Well, I guess now the Chair Force doesn't ever have to get up and fight.

Just kidding, blue suiters... you're great, and thanks for your service, whether in the air or controlling predator drones.

i just hope the uav pilots dont get the same pay as normal pilots, hazard pay and the like. even though there have been reports on uav pilots still having ptsd.

I agree completely with SJak- the weakest link in a UAV fleet is the satellite signal that controls them. The USAF had better put a big effort into network security and electronic warfare.

Flying drones comes with it's own set of issues. I got the chance to talk to one of the wing commanders out at Creech, and to also meet the man that popsci interviewed in their article about UAV's and he said that its hard for a lot of pilots out there because they might have to kill someone, then an hour later they're at home with their family, and it can be hard to handle that rapid transition, much in the same way soldiers who come back from deployments have a hard time making the transition.

"Well, I guess now the Chair Force doesn't ever have to get up and fight."

I know that you were kidding, but you probably don't know about all the airmen that have had to spend time in Iraq or Afghanistan working jobs that really should have been done by the Army, like convoy driver or prison guard, or about all the intel people that are constantly sent to the front lines.

I can take your humour as such, but I don't want other people to misread it. And if there is a way to misread something, people will do it.

I don't know about you, but if I had my choice of being in an actual aircraft versus sitting in front of a video screen, I'd take the manned aircraft.

Honestly, UAV piloting is critical, but no one I know would rather fly one instead of an F-16 or an F-22...

Only guys who have families would do the UAV thing...but honestly, who wants one of those? lol... If the military wanted you to have a family, they would have issued you one. Complete with dog and cat.

People that love games that do this would love this job, not to mention your life isn't on the line. I could see this expanding. Having drone drop remote ground units that are also remote controlled... amazing stuff.