Drone Pilots Get a Serious Raise from the Air Force
While so many service men and women are working for very little, it seems the folks operating the drones are getting hit even harder according to this article by Mike Hoffman for defensetech.org. Lower on the pay scale, and asked to work much longer hours than traditional pilots, the drone pilots have been leaving the position in droves. This led new Air Force Secretary Deborah James to take steps that will hopefully keep our current drone pilots in their positions and recruit more to fill the gap. To find out more about this ongoing issue, read the full article here.
Drone Pilot Wanted: Starting Salary $100,000
The next time you need aspirin, you might just be able to pick up your phone, make your order and have your local drone company deliver it to your home. In this article by Ben Rooney for money.cnn.com, they look into the burgeoning drone delivery business that seems to be popping up everywhere. With so many drone adept pilots coming out of the military, there’s a built in workforce that knows just how to deal with the specifics of using a drone to maneuver around town and drop their payload. Though, of course they will be dropping Nyquil, not bombs. The article also features videos and photos that give a sense of how this new field will work. Get all the latest developments in this new industry by reading the full article here.
Air Force to tap National Guard, Reserve to fill Drone Pilot Shortage
In this article by Lolita C. Baldor for stripes.com, you’ll find out just how much the shortage of drone pilots is costing the military in terms of both loss of human pilots and the funding shortfalls. Drone pilots are in high demand and have until recently been paid very little. The Air Force is taking steps to try and increase incentive pay from the unbelievably low $600 to $1500. The goal is to have our existing drone pilots stay in the military and to get new recruits coming in to opt for a career in the drone program. Fortunately since the private sector is also ramping up the call for drone pilots, there may be a call for more trained experts in this field, tempting young people to start their drone pilot career in the military.
Drone Pilot Crisis: Pentagon Promises to Pay Rise to Stressed Operators.
Rt.com brings us this up to date article on the current crisis arising from the shortage of drone pilots. In the past, this position has come under scrutiny because the pay is so low and the training is the longest required in the field. In addition, while standard flight pilots only have to fly about 200-300 hours a year, a drone pilot is required to fly almost four times that amount at between 900 – 1100 hours per year. The position is extremely high stress and typically pilots leave the service when their time is up. This has been the cause of the current shortage and the Air Force is diligently working to correct this issue. Read the full article here.
