As a former USAF Staff Sergeant, I have a lot of love for my former service.

But, being a proponent of Tough Love, I reserve the right to constructive criticism (surprise, surprise).

It appears that the USAF has finally figured out that one does not have to be a qualifed F-22 Raptor pilot, to fly an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (aka Drone).

As many as 700 Air Force personnel have expressed some interest in the
test program, which will create a new brand of pilot for the drones,
which are flown by remote control from a base in Nevada. That new drone
operator will learn the basics of flying a small manned plane, but will
not go through the longer, more rigorous training that their fighter jet brethren receive.

While I applaud this far overdue realization on the part of the Air Force grand Poobahs, they stopped short:

Meanwhile, the test program for non-pilots is aimed at Air Force captains who have four to six years of experience, but no flight training. Their schooling would take up to nine months, and they would not have to meet all of the more stringent standards that jet fighter pilots must.

I understand that it takes time to change a stratified system, but the Air Force Office Corps seriously needs to get over itself.  By limiting these slots to Officers only, they are eliminating a huge (and far less costly in pay and benefits) pool of talent:  The Enlisted Corps.

There is no reason that Enlisted members cannot be trained to fly these craft.  Enlisted Air Force members do any number of complex, multi-tasking jobs today.  Flying a drone, and  coordinating with Air Traffic Control, Forward Air Controllers, and Ground Forces cannot be so complex that a talented individual should be disqualified due to his rank.

The US Army allows NCO’s to be Tank Commanders.  You can’t tell me that being a TC takes less ability to coordinate and command a platform than flying a UAV.

If it makes the Officer Corps feel better, make the UAV pilots Warrant Officers.  In the Army, Warrants are Rotary Wing (Helicopters to you civilians) pilots.

The Air Force needs to get ahead of this curve now, becuase in the long run, all aircraft will be flown by onboard computers, or remote pilots.  On board pilots will be backups, not primary.

Tags: USAF