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Beginning of the end for Regional pilots?

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diggertwo

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 28, 2001
Posts
65
Predator B makes first landing at civilian airport

http://www.pilotbug.com/?p=302

An unmanned General Atomics Predator B landed at Whitman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin Wednesday in preparation for Aiventure 2009. The plane, operated by the Customs and Border Protection agency departed from Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota and later control was transferred to a cockpit equipped command center which was located on the ground at the Whitman airport. This was the first time an unmanned aircraft was allowed to land at a civilian airport.

The turboprop has a maximum gross weight of 10,500 lbs and can remain aloft for 30 hours and is flies at an airspeed over 220 knots. It was designed to provide remote sensing and targeting with which it can observe targets from as far away as 18 miles.

According to the CPB the Predator’s “primary mission of securing the border and preventing acts of terrorism by providing long-duration reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, tracking and acquisition capability to augment crewed law enforcement aircraft and watercraft as well as ground interdiction agents.” It has flown more than 3000 hours since operation began in 2004.
 
More than likely long-haul pilots. No need for crew considerations on long flights. Besides, even a robot would refuse the conditions regional pilots work under.
 
It still has a pilot. In fact, the remote pilot probably makes more than a regional pilot does.

Quite a bit more, it seems....

http://jobview.usajobs.gov/getjob.a....aspx&AVSDM=2009-05-16+12:32:00&rc=5&TabNum=1

Department: Department Of Homeland Security
Agency: Customs and Border Protection

Job Announcement Number:
MHCAMDE-246678-JMC

UAS PREDATOR PILOT

SALARY RANGE: 56,411.00 - 104,525.00 USD /year
OPEN PERIOD: Friday, March 13, 2009
to Thursday, September 10, 2009
SERIES & GRADE: GS-2181-11/13
POSITION INFORMATION: Full Time Career/Career Conditional
PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 13
DUTY LOCATIONS: vacancy(s) in one of the following locations: Few vacancies - Grand Forks, ND; Few vacancies - Sierra Vista, AZ; Few vacancies - Riverside, CA
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: United States Citizens

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:1. Submit a current FAA Commercial Pilot Certification with the following ratings: airplane, single engine or multi engine land with instrument. Appropriate U.S. military ratings may be substituted. Other certificates that meet or exceed the requirements of the Commercial Pilot Certificate are also acceptable (e.g., an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate).

2. Submit a current FAA Class I Medical Certificate for initial entry into the occupation. Applicants whose FAA Class I has expired may submit an FAA Class II Medical Certificate; however, applicants MUST have a Class I at the time of the interview. An FAA Class II Medical Certificate will be accepted for re-entry into the occupation.

3. Submit the last page of your documented flight log reflecting a minimum of 1500 hours total flight time (100 hours of aircraft/airplane and/or helicopter within the last 12 months) including 250 Pilot-in-Command and 75 instrument/night hours. Applicants may include UAS Predator A (MQ-1) or Predator B (MQ-9) flight hours. Your full flight log book will be required at time of interview for verification.

NOTE: Up to 50% of the 1500 hour total flight requirement may be waived upon verification of prior specialized skills and experiences (e.g., general military flight experience and training, complex aircraft flight instructor experience, multi-engine aircraft time, night vision device operations, imminent danger, and terrain and/or over-water operations.)

GS-11: You qualify at the GS-11 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the skills needed to perform the job duties. This experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level. Examples include: planning, scheduling and implementing aircraft training programs; maintaining flight records and flight schedules; and conducting currency flights, transition training and evaluation flights to determine pilot's proficiency level.


GS-12: You qualify at the GS-12 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the skills needed to perform the job duties. This experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Examples include flying as a pilot-in command or sole manipulator in a Predator B aircraft in all environments of flight including adverse conditions, such as, night, poor weather, unfavorable terrain, low altitudes and/or low speeds.

GS-13: You qualify at the GS-13 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the skills needed to perform the job duties. This experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Examples include operating under some of the most adverse flying conditions to unfamiliar areas in metropolitan locations of high air traffic density; thorough knowledge of navigation and air traffic control procedures; providing supervision, instruction and guidance of lower grade pilots and non-flying personnel, such as technicians; and flying over large areas of water to conduct covert aerial search of specific vessels in order to accurately determine speed, probable route and point of rendezvous.
 
I would say freight pilots will be at risk first. They will get all the wrinkles ironed out with boxes first and then move on to passengers.
 
Why worry about all the wrinkles of taking the pilot out if you still need a pilot? Airforce uses them so their pilot's don't get shot down. That generally isn't an issue for pax pilots, the only place I worry about getting shot is at some of our hotels.
 
Why worry about all the wrinkles of taking the pilot out if you still need a pilot? Airforce uses them so their pilot's don't get shot down. That generally isn't an issue for pax pilots, the only place I worry about getting shot is at some of our hotels.


Why do you stay at such dangerous hotels?
 
Why worry about all the wrinkles of taking the pilot out if you still need a pilot? Airforce uses them so their pilot's don't get shot down. That generally isn't an issue for pax pilots, the only place I worry about getting shot is at some of our hotels.

At some point you might have a couple of guys/gals on the ground monitoring/flying multiple flights. For example 2 people could possibly fly 3 or 4 airplanes from a central computer similar to what an air traffic controller does. IMO, passenger ops are a loooooooong ways out but freight could be a reality much sooner. For the record, I Do Not want this to happen.
 
Examples include flying as a pilot-in command or sole manipulator in a Predator B aircraft in all environments of flight including adverse conditions, such as, night, poor weather, unfavorable terrain, low altitudes and/or low speeds.




yeah...i got 5000 hours in one of those......read the rest of it before you highlight it.....
 

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