Originally Posted by
Training Risky
Fixed that for you!
It's quite telling that it seems to be the old and retired folk that are most averse to RPAS pilots being recognised as such. If you have not been to Waddo and seen exactly what the Reaper crews do then you are commenting from a position of conjecture and opinions based on at best mistruths, rumour or deep bias.
Actual hands on flying of an aircraft is not what pilots are employed for in the military, otherwise The RAF would employ your average Easyjet level pilot.
Military pilots have to 'fight' an aircraft by managing complicated systems, multiple crew, numerous radios, understand a complicated and, most of the time, incomplete and confusing tactical picture whilst staying within the every moving goalposts of ATC, LOAC, ROE, TD, GASOs, and 20 other documents and policies. All whilst being shot at, trying to understand foreign aircrew and procedures, coordinating several other assets, dealing with an emergency in marginal weather and immense pressure to ensure the goods guys dont die.... THAT is why the military has a different calibre of pilot.
now try making all of those decisions with 500 other people in the CAOC, DGCS MoD etc from SAC to 4* rank analysing EVERY decision before phoning directly into the cockpit to tell about how your decision as the aircraft captain is not what THEY want! That is exactly what RPAS ops are for young kids who are 18-24 months along the line from day 1 at IOT.
By the time your average FJ mate is day CR after 7-10 yrs and JUST starting to be productive your RPAS pilot has 3 - 4000 OPERATIONAL hours, has dropped OPERATIONAL ordnance, has a huge wealth of ISR knowledge, operational planning experience, intimate knowledge of how a war is fought at the tactical to strategic level.
Times have moved on, your opinions, based on FACTS, should probably consider do the same if you dont want to look like you are out of touch.
If it's good enough for the adults in charge at the Air Force Board, perhaps we should trust them a little more, no?