Ground-based Pilots of Unmanned Air Vehicles

[Steve Pace]

With the rapid growth in UAV capabilities most militarized countries are scrambling to put unoccupied air vehicles in to their respective air forces and civilian transportation systems. With this comes the ever increasing need of ground-based pilots to operate them. Amazingly, through simulator training, it is a possibility that these pilots might never actually have fly an air vehicle. Food for thought. -SP

 

[shockonlip]

In a similar situation.

I met a guy last year, who had been a flight sim training guy in the USAF
for a transport aircraft. Can't recall what specific transport it was, but
he told me that since he was an expert on flying the sim, in all conditions,
that he was actually listed in USAF records, as being qualified to fly that
transport in an emergency situation. By emergency he clarified like if they
didn't have enough trained pilots.

I asked if he had every flown a real airplane before, much less the real
transport that he was expert in the sim on, and he said no.

I was very skeptical that he'd be able to fly the real bird, as I can
fly flight sims of single engine Cessna's, and many years ago I actually
soloed a real Cessna single engine aircraft and have some additional
hours as pilot in command, and I don't think I could have flown a real
Cessna if I just knew the sim.

He however assured me that he did have such a rating in the USAF database.

Anyone heard of this?

 

[Steve Pace]

In a similar situation.

I met a guy last year, who had been a flight sim training guy in the USAF
for a transport aircraft. Can't recall what specific transport it was, but
he told me that since he was an expert on flying the sim, in all conditions,
that he was actually listed in USAF records, as being qualified to fly that
transport in an emergency situation. By emergency he clarified like if they
didn't have enough trained pilots.

I asked if he had every flown a real airplane before, much less the real
transport that he was expert in the sim on, and he said no.

I was very skeptical that he'd be able to fly the real bird, as I can
fly flight sims of single engine Cessna's, and many years ago I actually
soloed a real Cessna single engine aircraft and have some additional
hours as pilot in command, and I don't think I could have flown a real
Cessna if I just knew the sim.

He however assured me that he did have such a rating in the USAF database.

Anyone heard of this?

I'd love to talk with some of the current UAV, UCAS pilots that are 'flying' these air vehicles from ground stations at Nellis. I wonder how many of them have actually flown an aircraft. -SP

 

[Jemiba]

"I wonder how many of them have actually flown an aircraft."

Quite recently there was an article about the increasing use of UAV. It was said, that
at least in the USAF all UAV are flown by rated pilots. Food for thought indeed. Is this
necessary ? Those pilots need regularly training flights in "real" aircraft for retaining skills,
many of them will never need again. I don't begrudge them their flying hours, but for me
that looks like real potential for savings.

 

[OM]

"I wonder how many of them have actually flown an aircraft."

Quite recently there was an article about the increasing use of UAV. It was said, that
at least in the USAF all UAV are flown by rated pilots. Food for thought indeed. Is this
necessary ?

...As one who's driven R/C cars prior to getting a driver's license, I can say from personal experience that handling an R/C car was much easier after some behind-the-real-wheel experience. I would assume the same would apply to a UCAV.

 

[Bernardo]

It is my understanding that the USAF is only using experienced pilots to fly UAVs. I have been told that they have conducted experiments in which non-pilots went through the simulator training, but non-pilots required more such training to achieve the same level of competency as pilots.

One aspect of controlling UAVs that is not appreciated is that for long-range missions the UAV can be left on "auto-pilot" for long periods of time. The remote operators only have to be at in the control module for periods when there is a need for direct operator control.

 

[ohpossum]

The other side of the coin..


A good friend of mine is responsible for maintenance and uptime of the ANG C-17 sim located here. A big part of his job is to make sure the sim is 100% operational for whatever is needed that day. The "test" is to get in it and fly the sim through the profile of the day's activities. He's extremely familiar with flying a C-17 (at least in simulator form)


Another friend is in the ANG and (before getting a desk job) routinely flew a C-17 to Germany and back..


Who would I trust if I was riding in that C-17? Pretty easy answer..the real pilot. Who would I want along "just in case"? The sim guy.