A career in the armed forces is something that many people consider after high school. Some find themselves drawn to military service from a young age with a desire to serve their country, perhaps due to family ties. Others find their way into the service through other skills and disciplines.

The US Air Force is proud to recruit many different people of different abilities into the service, with a growing range of roles. One area that has grown particularly rapidly is that of drone operations. There are now calls for more trainees and drone pilots in the US Air Force, and it is easier than ever to apply.

However, this line of drone work is not for everyone, and the US Air Force has only just realized the true implications of this form of UAV.

There are many questions to ask yourself before committing to this role. Do you understand the requirements and responsibilities? Do you have the determination and skill to get through the qualifications? Finally, do you have what it takes to handle the mental side of the job?

Drones are an essential part of so many industries that it is no surprise that the US armed forces utilize them too.

(Source: Brian McIntosh)

Drones have quickly developed from novelty toy and instrument of the rich and powerful to widespread tool with potential in many fields. It is not enough to call yourself a drone operator anymore. There are so many fields and industries that make use of these systems that the are clear distinctions between job titles. For example, there are drone operators to work in surveillance and videography, and then there are the Remote Piloted Aircraft Sensor Operators in the Air Force.

At one point, it was quite difficult to get a place as an RPA officer due to a mixture of the factor. First of all, places went to commissioned officers due to the nature of the role. There were also limited training places available to those that made the grade.

Now its seems that the US Airforce has made a slight U-turn by opening up the roles in a need to fill the gaps. There are more opportunities than ever to join the force in this capacity. The continued development of tech and drones means that this can only continue. The Airforce want more planes, more weaponized ones at that, with a new line of Reapers.

The Distinction Between The RPA And The UAV

The name Remote Piloted Aircraft Sensor Operator is quite a mouthful, perhaps to distance the role from that of other drone operators and pilots. This is understandable when we consider the work and training that goes into this post compared to some other roles. Not to mention the sensitivity of the tasks involved. Some RPA operators in the armed forces would probably be a little offended at the term drone operator. Their work goes much further than that.

We have to consider the reasons for these RPAs when we consider the work of the drone pilot in the US Airforce. There are sure to be times when surveillance work and videography are useful on the basis, perhaps with the maintenance of hard to reach places, and small drones and UAVs play their part. However, these roles with RPAs go beyond that into warfare and conflicts. The work of these drones and their pilots is crucial for the success of missions, the information gathered and the ongoing work of the military in key areas.

Then there is the fact that this isn’t your basic drone that you fly around the park.

It is important that we make the distinction here between drones in the air force and drones in commercial settings. This isn’t a quadcopter with a small camera that these pilots operate. Instead, they are more like small unmanned planes that bridge the gap between spy plane and UAV. They are substantial pieces of equipment with serious technical capabilities. At the moment, the US Airforce work with Predators and Reapers, with a desire to focus on improving the Reapers.

The scale and sophistication of these RPAs are clear in the Predator XP. This is the most recent model within a family of drones that stretches back as far as 1995. A lot has changed since then.

The Predator XP provides line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight data link systems, with access to multiple intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors, cameras and radar systems. This highlights the difference between disciplines.

A camera on this RPA is not the same as the camera on a commercial drone. The addition of other ISR systems adds to the complexity. It does take skill and technical knowledge to fly these things.

So What Are These RPA Operators Responsible For?

There have long been jokes made about the roles of soldiers taken over by robots and automated devices. This soon evolved to comments about the roles of drones and the images of pilots flying UAVs into enemy airspace with what looked like video game console controllers. The problem with these jokes and memes is that they run the risk of trivializing the importance of these machines.

US Airforce drone pilots send unmanned machines into enemy territory to gain information on locations and bases without the need to put any human lives at risk. There is always the chance of someone spotting the RPA and shooting it down to prevent the information from traveling back. This is preferable to the alternative with a manned mission or spy plane.

The Airforce mention the following when discussing the role of these operators:

1) “perform pre and in-flight mission planning activities.”

2) “test and evaluate capabilities of new equipment and propriety of new procedures.”

3) “detect, analyze and discriminate between valid and invalid targets.”

4) “perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance”.

5) “assist in air navigation, fire control planning and determining effective weapons controls and delivery tactics.”

6) “conduct immediate first battle damage assessments”.

Simply put, this means a range of potential requirements from planning the mission in addition to operating it, keeping an eye on the enemy, helping to weaponize the systems, determining the best targets and being first on the scene after a battle.

What Qualifications Do Drone Pilots Require?

The image of a soldier in a remote location, manipulating the controls of a far off UAV with a games controller, gives the impression of a laid back, low-skilled effort. However, this is far from the truth as these pilots require a lot of skill and qualifications to enter the service and work these missions.

A drone operator with a pilot’s license and a year in the industry can’t simply walk in and expect to work with the air force. There is a long process of qualifications and training here. After all, the US Air Force only wants the very best who are truly capable of flying these missions.

This all starts with some basic academic qualifications. The force look for candidates with at least a high school diploma, a GED with 15 college credits, or a GED. They also highlight general ASVAB requirements and electronics qualifications. Then there is the experience of the candidate. They tend to look at those with flight experience, as this is both beneficial and desired, but it is possible to train without it.

Applicants must also complete a current Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI), 7.5 weeks of basic military training and take part in Airmen’s Week. Finally, all applicants must be between the ages of 17 and 39 with a normal color vision for the operation of the drone. Their status upon completion is “Enlisted Airman with credits earned towards Air and Space Operations Technology.”

What About The Qualities Required And The Best Type Of Person For The Job?

Of course, we have to remember that there is more than just physical skill and technical knowledge involved in the qualifications to be a drone pilot in the US Airforce. There are mental capabilities and mindsets required to work well in this environment. This all goes back to that idea of why these pilots fly the drones.

There are deeper implications and moral issues involved with all drone flights. It is one thing to manage a safe, secure flight to and from the designated area with the right footage.

There are also the consequences of these actions. What will happen as a result of the mission? What action will occur if the mission is a success? Some pilots may not know, they may go blindly into their next task with nothing but assumptions. Those that cannot handle those assumption and potential consequences cannot fly drones for the military.

Others will know all too well what is happening and what the implications are. These pilots are those that help with the target identification and weaponization, and those that end up firing a weapon on a person of interest. There are misconceptions about the role of the drone pilot in this situation. That it is perhaps easy to do this in this remote location where they can distance themselves from battle.

However, some say it is easier to be in the war zone where it makes a little more sense, and there is time to process the action on deployment. Here pilots go home to their family after a shift, like a typical 9-5 job, and struggle to answer the question of “how was your day.”

This job is tough to handle, and all trainees need to prepare themselves.

There is the sense here that this is a job full of excitement, like a real-life video game where pilots get to fly around, look for trouble and shoot the bad guys. There is this possibility of action, but most of the shift requires a lot of basic screen monitoring.

Pilots have described the experience as 99% boredom and 1% adrenaline rush, which can take its toll on a shift. There are three shifts per day, each of which is a long time to concentrate on a screen and fly successfully. They are, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., and 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. They can arrive around an hour before the shift starts for a mass briefing on the weather, changes in instructions for the area and other notes from the previous day.

There is then a briefing on the day’s specific mission and an assessment of crew readiness regarding sleep, stress levels and health. They then head to the Ground Control Station (GCS) to replace the previous shift. It is a long period of little action with the potential for that 1%.

It is important to consider why you want to fly a drone in the US Air Force, and if you can handle it.

Anyone considering a move as a drone pilot in the US Air Force needs to consider their reasons for signing up in the first place. Which is the most important priority here? Serving the country or flying a drone? Those that think that flying a drone with the military is the most exciting job prospect with drones need to reconsider. Those that make the grade do some vital work, but it takes a lot of training and hard work to get there.

Also, there are opportunities in other fields where the training is easy, up to date and the work is enjoyable. Those that put the service before the job will stick it out, work their way through and enjoy the role. Still, it is important to remember the qualifications that the air force is after. A high school drops out with few formal qualifications into going to get far, no matter how badly they want it.

The Air Force took its time to wise up to impact of drones and the need to switch enrollment options from commissioned officers to enrolled airmen. Now the opportunities have increased to the point where there aren’t enough drone pilots to fulfill the needs. There is no doubt that the number of positions for RPA operators will only grow in the coming years.

Drones are a necessity with scope for increased numbers and more advanced tech. The US Air Force will always want to best pilots rising through the ranks to take the controls and succeed in these complex missions.

Just like automobiles, drones are set to become part of our daily lives, and their application has evolved from military and stretched to other sectors including filming, surveying, and real estate.

As a matter of fact, online stores like Amazon and eBay have pointed to the possibility of using drones to deliver products in the future even though there are no federal laws to govern the use of drones in transportation.

With these emerging opportunities, the need for a qualified drone pilot becomes apparent. Back in 2016, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) released a job listing that required qualified drone pilots who could fly drones less than 55 pounds.

The requirements were relatively basic as pilots were only needed to keep the drone in sight at all times, fly within 100 miles/hour and operate during daytime only. They were also required to report any accidents that resulted in an injury.

Since then, becoming a certified drone pilot became the dream of many people ranging from video game lovers to aviation experts and those seeking a career change.

What Is Required To Become A Drone Pilot?

The requirements for becoming a certified drone pilot are quite simple. Currently, pilots should be at least 16 years of age and pass a simple written test on the same.

Due to the demand for qualified pilots, schools and training institutions that provide courses for drone flying have popped up all over the country.

One such institution is UVU (Unmanned Vehicle University) found in Phoenix. Tuition and certification costs around $3,800 and participants are taken through three steps.

The first involves watching some 16 hours of online videos segmented into 20 minutes. At the end of each section, learners are expected to answer one question. These videos aim at helping students come to terms with the various drone flying aspects like flight, airspace limitations, weather conditions and how drones work.

After completing this phase, learners are sent a simulator with a controller similar to the original drone controller used in real life. This simulator provides about 12 hours of the various drone flying tasks.

The last step is meeting with a professional instructor for a 2-day hands-on drone flying experience. Learners are also required to pass a written test for the FAA 107 drone pilot certificate.

Where Can You Get Employed?

The demand for drone pilots is set to increase over the coming years as drones become more popular in routine applications. Drones have multiple applications in different industries including the following;

• Filming and video production
• Inspection and survey of real estate property
• In military surveillance, spying, and execution
• Transportation and logistics
• Leisure and entertainment
• Security surveillance and monitoring

Drones can have cameras attached to them and may also be built with sufficient space to carry light cargos and products. The applications of drone technology are often cited as limitless especially since new sectors keep emerging, and the technology is always growing and expanding.

When drones first emerged, they were only associated with the military industry. Today, there are drones in the filming and entertainment industry and real estate.

As drones continue to harness the benefits of existing technologies in other areas, it is expected to impact numerous industries within the coming years. Some experts have compared drone technology to automobiles and cell phone technology.

Is There Career Overreach?

Back in 2013, the AUVSI (Association for Unmanned-Vehicle-Systems-International) released a report that projected over 100,000 jobs within the unmanned aircraft sector before 2025.

In another analysis in 2016, Pricewater Coopers’ analysts expected that the market for commercial drone technology application could hit $127 million within the next four years. Since the FAA announced for drone pilot applications, the number of people looking to join the sector has continued to rise.

More industries are also open to considering new ways in which drone technology can benefit their operations. In the logistics and transportation, for instance, drones can be used to achieve faster delivery of lightweight goods.

Summary

The sector will overreach in the future, and the career opportunities for a drone pilot are in no way limited. More trainers, engineers, mechanics and software developers will be required as the technology expands and impacts the world in large scale.

Those interested in changing their careers by becoming a drone pilot will realize it is just as broad and complex an industry like any other and offers various new things to learn.

Owning a drone can be a fun pass time for some individuals, for others, it can be a good way of earn money.

It’s important that professional drone pilots register their UAV and follow the laws that pertain specifically to them. This article includes a list of “do’s and don’ts” when it comes to drone usage.

Do’s:

• Take a piloting course. Enrolling in a UAV/drone course can help a pilot perfect their skills and learn important safety habits.

• Purchase insurance from the seller. Most of the newer types of drones come with optional insurance from the seller. Because of the certainty of an unwanted crash sooner or later, it’s best to pay a little bit more for the insurance than having to replace the entire drone out of pocket.

• Do have fun. If drone photography is a hobby, don’t take it too seriously in the beginning if the pictures aren’t perfect. Pilots will get better in time and so will the quality of their pictures over time. The main purpose of any hobby is to engage in an activity that is enjoyable and relaxing. It’s hard for pilots to have fun if they are overly-sensitive about their first pictures.

• Launch after a visual check of all equipment. The most important thing to check is the battery life of the drone. After the UAV has been used for a time, the owner will likely notice a difference in how long the battery will last. It’s important that they monitor the drone, so they don’t run out of battery while the drone is mid-air. They should also check the propeller for debris of any kind that could have gotten stuck to the blades in a previously flight. Making sure their camera has enough battery and that the camera has been adjusted to the appropriate settings is a must for getting back great photography.

Don’ts:

• Don’t purchase the most expensive drone equipment right off the bat. Even novice and expert drone pilots admit that crashes still happen to them.

•  For new pilots, it’s best to start with cheaper equipment and then buy better equipment once they’ve built up their expertise and confidence flying. The pilot can always sell their old drone when it’s time to get a new one and recoup some of their money.

• Don’t fly when the weather isn’t ideal. It can be tempting for a drone enthusiast to want to fly their UAV even when in not-so-perfect weather. If it’s rainy (or looks like it’s going to rain), snowing or the wind is blowing above 15 mph, it’s not the day to take the drone out for a whirl. The pilot should wait for a day that has milder weather conditions to avoid a crash.

• Don’t fly in high-risk areas. Anywhere within five miles of an airport is off limit to drone pilots due to a small but real possibility of interference. Pilots also should avoid areas that are crowded, because they wouldn’t want a crash to occur on top of a fellow human being in case something on the drone malfunctions or weather causes it to fall.

• Don’t rely fully on autopilot. Most new pilots make the mistake of being heavily dependent on the autopilot and GPS system. The problem with this is that GPS isn’t 100% accurate and GPS can fail if there are tall structures blocking the signal. Autopilot isn’t foolproof either. In case it quits working, the owner will need to know how to pilot their UAV well enough to land it safely.

UAV / Drone Pilot Jobs

Considering the high level of pay that Drone Pilots Jobs earn, it’s no wonder being a UAV pilot is one of the most coveted careers in America. The average drone pilot can expect to make around one hundred thousand dollars a year, and the highest paid drone pilots can make a quarter of a million dollars each year.

Considering most drone pilot jobs do not require the pilots to have a college degree of any sort, it’s a career that most people can pursue in a fairly short amount of time, as long as they have the money for start-up costs and training. The most common jobs in the drone industry right now relate to aerial photography/videography.

Construction

Some places you don’t want to send a human employee unless necessary. By using drones, pilots can fly their UAVs into areas that are dangerous for humans to go. One example is bridge construction and maintenance.

If something appears to be wrong, it’s a lot less risky to have the drone patrol the area than to have a human employee dangling from cables at five hundred feet. After reviewing the footage, those in charge can decide if it’s necessary to send someone down to make repairs.

Movies

Many of today’s blockbusters have at least a few aerial view scenes of the city where the story is supposed to take place. In the past, these types of scenes could easily eat into the producer’s budget. Hiring helicopters and paying for a film crew to shoot from the aircraft could be a lofty expense.

Now there’s a better option. The producers can now hire a skilled UAV pilot to film whatever top-down shots they need and completely forego the helicopters and the film crew (for aerial scenes anyway). UAVs can also be an invaluable asset when it comes to filming action scenes.

Having a human controlling a camera while an explosion happens can be a certain liability. Setting up a camera and hoping it captures everything the director needs can also be a waste of money. The special effects scenes are already expensive to make, but if the camera doesn’t capture everything at the right angle, the director will have to do it all over again.

Hiring out a team of drone pilots for a few hours is a much better way of capturing the moment. The pilots can collectively record the scene from every angle while piloting from a safe distance away.

The worst scenario would be having to replace a drone that was damaged in action. Two recent popular films that used UAVs to record scenes were Skyfall and the Wolf on Wall Street.

Agriculture

Industrial farmers once had to hire a team of workers to walk through their fields and inspect their potential harvests. This could take several days or even weeks depending on how large the farm was and the type of crops grown. Drones are now being used to monitor crops in a manner that is both more time and cost efficient.

The drone pilot can return video surveillance of the plants for the agriculturalist to review. By inspecting the footage, those in charge of product growth can see some different things that will affect strategy. They can see if the plants might be infested with aphids if so they can have someone go out and treat the plants for bugs.

They will able to see if the vegetables are ripening faster or slower than expected and send someone out to pick the produce or have them apply more fertilizer. The video should also show any malfunctions among automatic farm equipment like the sprinklers.

Because of drones being a new concept to farming, it is expected to save farmers billions of dollars over the next five years. This could dramatically reduce the price of fresh produce at the grocery store.

Real estate

When a huge property is being sold, it is common to include aerial photos of the property in the online posting. Until recently these photographs would have been the product of a cameraman getting on a helicopter and being flown out to the home. This was something that agents would try to get the home owner’s to pay for.

Because the process of getting these type of top-down pictures is so expensive, some homeowners would refuse. At that point, the agent could offer to pay for the photography in hopes that they would make back what they put in when the house sold, and they were paid their commission.

The agent might also decide that the risk was greater than the reward and not have the pictures taken, potentially costing them a sale. Now that drone photography is available, pilots of UAVs are frequently being contacted to take photos both on top of and inside of properties.

Although the pilots are still paid just as much if not more as a regular photographer, no one has to pay the exuberant price tag of the helicopter rental. Drone pilots for real estate agencies are one of the steadiest lines of UAVs careers on the market right now.

These are just a few of the jobs available to UAV pilots on the market right now. Because laws have recently changed and drone technology is constantly improving, Americans can expect to see more emerging careers in drone piloting shortly.

Considering the high level of pay that drone pilots earn, it’s no wonder being a UAV drone pilot job is one of the most coveted careers in America. The average drone pilot can expect to make around one hundred thousand dollars a year and the highest paid drone pilots can make around a quarter of a million dollars each year.

Most drone pilot jobs do not require the pilots to have a college degree of any sort, it’s a career that most people can pursue in a fairly short amount of time, as long as they have the money for start-up costs and training.

The FAA now requires all commercial pilots to take a drone piloting course and pass it in order to get certified and legally work.

For some children, the dream of piloting an aircraft begins at the time they learn how to play video games. With popular games like Battlefield 4 dominating the young minds of the players, it’s no wonder they dream of having a career as a pilot.

Sadly, adults that continue to dream of being a pilot will be faced with a harsh reality. To become a pilot of a regular aircraft typically takes eight years of flight school and has a very pricey cost of tuition to go along with it.

The training to become a drone pilot can take less than a week, but it is expensive. It is not nearly as expensive as going to school to be a regular pilot, however, which can cost an estimated seventy-five thousand dollars in total.

A complete course to get licensed in drone piloting can cost a student between three thousand and four thousand dollars plus traveling costs.

Some of the training course can be done online or at home, but there is a portion of the training material that must be done with a real life instructor aiding their pupil in learning how to adequately pilot their drone in person.

Drone piloting jobs are very popular for a number of reasons.

1) Can do any task and anywhere

UAVs can be piloted through areas that are difficult for human entry. Dam construction and inspections can be complicated. These are tasks that would be almost if not impossible to complete without the use of drones.

Being able to fly into crevices at the highest of heights is an advantage that UAVs have over mere mortals. Bridges are another structural example that would demand the need for drone photography.

Having the ability to photograph points of the bridge that are crucial to safety is a much safer approach than sending a human to inspect the possibly faulty areas. Construction companies recognize this and are eager to employ experienced drone pilots to assist them in their business.

2) Fast

Drones can get the job done faster. For land surveying, it can be faster and more efficient to send a flying camera :to do the job versus relying on a team of people trying to measure the vastness of a certain area of land.

In the future, UAV usage could bring down the price of groceries. Drones will likely save the agricultural industries millions of dollars by eliminating the need for a team of surveyors.

The aerial photography taken by drones will reveal whether or not crops are doing well or if they need further attention. UAVs will be essential when it comes to understanding the amount and severity of damage caused by a natural disaster like a wildfire or a landslide.

Since journeying into these hazardous zones could be dangerous, it is much safer to use a UAV to capture the footage and provide research materials to professionals who deal with containing fires or warning others of imminent peril.

3) Amazing pictures

Drones take amazingly unique photographs. One of the top industries that hire drone pilots is real estate. Sometimes in order to get aerial pictures of a property, real estate agents would have to encourage their clients to pay a photographer to get on a helicopter to take top-down photos of their home, or the agent would have to pay for it themselves.

The use of a drone could eliminate this lofty charge. UAVs will soon be used to photograph extreme sports as well. In sports like snowboarding, motocross, and parachuting, a UAV will be on the scene and in the air with the athlete.

This will make for an improved system of capturing the sports activity. The future drones will be able to shoot the athlete from a few feet away and stay at a consistent level. This could mean no more out-of-focus videography and a better understanding of what is happening in real time.

Drones have also been used in movies since they are much cheaper than hiring helicopter pilots for several members of a video crew to shoot scenes.

4) Good source of income

Piloting drones is a choice career among veteran pilots. Sadly, veteran pilots getting out of the military will sometimes have trouble securing jobs equal to the ones they had while they were in deployment.

Pilot jobs for civilians are few and the process of applying and getting accepted can be daunting. Becoming a drone pilot can be a great career choice as most already have experience in the field. The best part is a career as a UAV pilot may get them a better salary and better lifestyle than they ever had in the military.

5) Going to be used in every field

UAV piloting will soon be a commonplace government job. Drones are already in use by the U.S. government to monitor wildlife, patrol the border, and report atmospheric conditions.

In Alaska, UAVs have been used to monitor sea lion populations. Outside the United States, the well-known non-profit group, the World Wildlife Fund is using drones as a means to stop poachers from killing endangered species.

They can now have a better idea of who is hunting wild animals illegally as well as identifying black-market traders and stopping them before they can do further damage to the habitat.

Most likely the U.S. will soon follow suit, as animal poaching is a problem here, as well. In Texas, they are using drones to scout out the border and keeps an eye on potential drug trafficking. All around the country drones are used to observe and report the current weather.

With the recent changes in the law as well as new technical innovations, society can look forward to more and more drone-centered careers to be on the job market in the near future.