Originally Posted by wishiwasupthere
Care to back that up with proof? And not just experimental use of not using a man in the loop, but widespread use. I can guarantee that 99.99% of UAVs flying around the world (certainly in a military sense) aren't doing so completely autonomously.
They don't have pilots in the traditional sense, ie someone with with any sort of qualification that would allow them to fly a manned helicopter or aeroplane. They're trained specifically as UAV operators. Unlike pilots of manned aircraft, they also often come from the enlisted ranks.
That said, UAVs in theatre routinely spend a lot of time station keeping autonomously with nobody watching it particularly closely.