Beginning of the end for Regional pilots?

[diggertwo]

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.

 

[wms]

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.

 

[mynameisjim]

It still has a pilot. In fact, the remote pilot probably makes more than a regional pilot does.

 

[crjdxr]

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.

 

[Skywest Pylot]

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.

 

[G2T]

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.

 

[Browntothebone]

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?

 

[Skywest Pylot]

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.

 

[G2T]

Why do you stay at such dangerous hotels?

They're not that bad, but the chances are incomparably larger that I am at a greater risk walking around on my layover than getting shot down at work.

 

[brokeflyer]

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.....

 

[Erlanger]

The flying public would never accept a flight without pilots.

On the other hand, this from CNN, "U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has said that the next generation of fighter planes -- the F-35 that took decades to develop at a cost of more than half-a-billion dollars each -- will be the last manned fighter aircraft."

 

[JustaNumber]

I have heard that FedEx is actively looking to be flying pilotless aircraft by 2020. I agree that it's further out for pax, but don't expect your grandkids to be able to have a piloting career.

 

[apache]

The flying public would never accept a flight without pilots.

I don't know about that. Ryanair just took a poll that indicated that the majority of the traveling public would elect to stand up for the entire flight for a cheaper fare. There is no telling how low this industry will go.

 

[20sx]

I could see maybe being down to one pilot. There are situations that a computer just simply can't handle, such as weather that radar doesn't catch, or that computer's just will never be fool-proof.

 

[Jar Jar]

A guy not on the airplane is much more likely to take risks he wouldnt otherwise take if he was actually there in the cockpit.

but hey if the public wants to pay me to sit at home and fly in my underwear, i'm good with that.

 

[Dubya]

I have heard that FedEx is actively looking to be flying pilotless aircraft by 2020. I agree that it's further out for pax, but don't expect your grandkids to be able to have a piloting career.

Whatever. You really believe that people will get on a plane with noone at the actual controls ready to deal with whatever happens on the plane?
Cool. PM me for a great deal on sweet oceanfront property with a cool bridge included.

W

 

[BrickTop]

The capability to design an airline grade airplane to fly without human intervention is VERY possible. What you don't realize in the MASSIVE infrastructure revamp that would have to take place to accommodate the ENTIRE operation. Taxi way guidance systems, terminal parking automation, automated adverse weather operations. There are far to many operational areas that would cost BILLIONS of dollars to automate the air travel process. It will happen I am convinced of that. Just as sci-movies in the early century suggested we would travel to space (And we did) we can be assured that air travel in the future will rule out human element. Not in the next 30 years though. Of course if OBAMA could just write a check........

 

[Dubya]

The capability to design an airline grade airplane to fly without human intervention is VERY possible. What you don't realize in the MASSIVE infrastructure revamp that would have to take place to accommodate the ENTIRE operation. Taxi way guidance systems, terminal parking automation, automated adverse weather operations. There are far to many operational areas that would cost BILLIONS of dollars to automate the air travel process. It will happen I am convinced of that. Just as sci-movies in the early century suggested we would travel to space (And we did) we can be assured that air travel in the future will rule out human element. Not in the next 30 years though. Of course if OBAMA could just write a check........

Sweet! It just so happens I have another great piece of prime real estate with an ocean view, private waterfall, personal airstrip for your unmanned private aircraft, a castle trimmed in 14k gold, and fully staffed with Playboy Bunnies 24/7, and every Star Trek episode personally autographed by Captain Kirk!

All this for no money down and 0% interest for 25 years!

PM me now for the exciting details!


W

 

[Gobi Gred]

Not gonna happen in my lifetime or my kids lifetime. It seems the more complex with computers airplanes get the more they break. I've said it before, when I can take a nap or read the paper with a fed in the jumpseat, then I'll think its a possibility.

 

[Erlanger]

Didn't Airbus try to design an airplane that didn't include the pilot, sort to speak? Here's an example of that first fully automated airplane. Worked real good, hey? Just listen to the commentary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOhdlj2LKCs&feature=related