View Full Version : RAF UAVs on FiveLive
airsound
9th Jul 2015, 09:21
BBC Radio FiveLive is at Waddo, live I think, with the guys flying the Reapers.
airsound
The pilot commented that it was a 3 man crew, Pilot, Sensor Operator and ?
melmothtw
9th Jul 2015, 09:37
The pilot commented that it was a 3 man crew, Pilot, Sensor Operator and ?
Mission commander ?
It's a curious paradox that currently unmanned platforms require greater manpower than manned platforms. Don't forget, that in addition to the 3 (?) crew flying the aircraft at Waddington/Creech, there are at least two more in-theatre taking-off and landing the things.
airsound
9th Jul 2015, 09:41
Btw, it's not live - silly me - obviously the RAF wanted to vet it fairly carefully before allowing it out....
But still a commendable piece of PR from the RAF, I think
airsound
P6 Driver
9th Jul 2015, 09:48
The pilot commented that it was a 3 man crew, Pilot, Sensor Operator and ?
Microwave operator?
(Tongue firmly in cheek)
Wander00
9th Jul 2015, 09:49
So "Five - not quite live" then
I was once interviewed on 5 Live during the Olympic Regatta, I think in 2004, about the prospects for a medal of a rather brilliant Finn class sailor, now gone on to greater things, and was surprised to hear on the phone as we waited for my bit, "And now the traffic report from Pitlochry, and over the top "Live in 20, 15 ,10, 5 seconds""
Davef68
9th Jul 2015, 09:56
Intel specialist. And the requirement to have the same name as the other two.
Lima Juliet
9th Jul 2015, 15:18
It's a curious paradox that currently unmanned platforms require greater manpower than manned platforms. Don't forget, that in addition to the 3 (?) crew flying the aircraft at Waddington/Creech, there are at least two more in-theatre taking-off and landing the things.
Au Contraire - the 2 more crew in theatre will be launching and recovering many more than 1 aircraft and the [up to] 3 crew may fly more than one tail during their duty period. Also, the sensor packages' product may well be worked on by at least another 5 specialists depending on what it type of sensor it is. Alternatively, you could fly it like a Tonka with 2 crew, to counter your supposed paradox, and not realise the MQ-9 Reaper's full potentital as a highly capable Combat ISTAR asset. But then you could have flown Tonka with RAPTOR, not used Tac Imagery Wing and its backlink capability because of the fear of 'greater manpower' and then not released the capability of that either...:cool:
What I'm saying is, thing's have moved on and back-link data dissemination and exploitation is not just for unmanned assets - there are plenty of single and multicrew manned assets that do this now as well.
LJ
PS. yes, the 3rd crew member is an Int Specialist...