USAF Opens UAS Operator Slots To Enlisted Personnel | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.09.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.10.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Mon, Jan 04, 2016

USAF Opens UAS Operator Slots To Enlisted Personnel

Non-Officers Will Be Accepted Into Training Program To Fly RQ-4 Global Hawks

Facing a shorting of UAS operators, the U.S. Air Force is shifting its policy of only allowing officers to become unmanned system pilots.

As of this year (2016), the Air Force is opening training for RQ-4 Global Hawk operations to enlisted personnel, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal relayed by engadget.com. The move is designed to bolster the number of qualified operators in the service, allowing for more daily combat air patrols while dealing with reduced budgets. It could also provide a morale boost among the enlisted personnel selected for the      training.

Other branches of the service already allow enlisted personnel to operate their unmanned aircraft, and there is a concern that the move will diminish the "prestige" of flying in the USAF.

The Global Hawks will be among the largest to be flown by enlisted ranks in any of the services.

Recently, long shifts flying UAVs has led to reports of burnout on the part of the operators, and the Air Force hopes that adding additional people will help it with retention as well.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.af.mil

Advertisement

More News

NTSB Final Report: Aviat A1

Airplane Bounced About 3 Ft Then Touched Back Down And Then, With No Brakes Applied, The Airplane Began Veering To The Left Analysis: The pilot entered the airport traffic pattern >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.08.25)

Aero Linx: British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) The primary focus within all aviation activity is SAFETY. In all aspects of our sport SAFETY must come first, whether it b>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: Fly Corvair’s Reliable Engine Alternative

From SnF25 (YouTube Edition): William Wynne Builds Practical Aircraft Engines on the Corvair Platform Seeking an affordable alternative to the traditional aircraft engine options, >[...]

ANN FAQ: Contributing To Aero-TV

How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: CiES Fuel-Quantity and e-Throttle Systems Praised

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Bridge of CiES CiES Inc. is a Bend, Oregon-based designer and manufacturer of modular embedded aircraft systems and sensors. The company’s fuel-l>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC