UAV pilots? An oxymoron?

I think it’s reasonable to set a goal to have one-third of our deep strike tactical aircraft remotely piloted within 10 years, and to have one-third of our ground combat vehicles remotely operated perhaps in an equal number of years.

—Senator John Warner, R-VA

What do you think, are operators of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) pilots or not? And do you feel comfortable sharing your airspace with UAVs that are remotely operated? The US Air Force’s primary UAVs are the Predator and the Global Hawk. These aircraft are remotely operated by qualified pilots who once occupied manned-aircraft, normally pulled out of their primary airplane to do a 36-month tour in a UAV. The US Army, on the other hand, trains enlisted non-pilots to fly the Shadow, Hunter and Sky Warrior UAVs. Should the Air Force allow non-pilots to fly UAVs? Do you think that flying a UAV requires the same training and qualification as an FAA-certified pilot? Or is this just a video game which requires a minimal amount of exposure to the typical pilot training courses? Keep in mind that some UAVs, such as the Global Hawk, are controlled by a keyboard and don’t actually have a stick or yoke; its takeoff and landing phases are also completely automated. This ongoing debate is not only present in the military, but in the civilian sector. The MQ-1 Predator is 27 feet long and can cruise at 25,000 feet for more than 20 hours. With its ground control station, it costs $7.6 million. The Reaper is slightly different. It can cruise at 50,000 feet. It costs $13.4 million and unarmed versions (such as the CBP-104) now patrol U.S. borders. You may not have seen a UAV overhead yet, but more are flying with everyday. Capable of orbiting over an area for days instead of just hours, they are being implemented in law enforcement, hurricane hunting (NOAA’s Aerosonde) and fire-fighting (US forest service’s Predator B aka Altair).

On a different note, how do you feel about sharing your airspace with a UAV? Or having a UAV flying over your house? Currently, the operation of UAVs is tightly restricted in the US. They only operate in blocked-off zones known as restricted areas. Under certain conditions, government agencies can apply for a Certificate of Authorization for exceptions. Private operators can apply for Experimental Airworthiness Certificates which have similar restrictions. The FAA has been reluctant to make room for UAVs in the national airspace system. The main concern is midair collisions. Human pilots are required to see-and-avoid other aircraft in many cases, by using their eyeballs and looking out the window. However, I presume these small details will soon be worked out by technology. Simply using a special camera or radar would allow a UAV to identify nearby aircraft, and with better accuracy and confidence level than the human eye. Eventually, we’re left with the same question-do humans trust remotely operated aircraft? And do we trust non-pilots to fly them?

Sources:  http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/12/airforce_enlisted_uas3_122108/ http://www.uavm.com/uavregulatory/pilotcertificationandhumanfactors.html http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj05/spr05/hoffman.html

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4213464.html http://www.jetwhine.com/2009/03/uav-pilot-shortage-military-intelligence/

A Difference A Year Can Make

I think that many of us started the year 2009 with absolutely no idea what the next twelve months would bring to our lives, our economy and our airlines. I think I’m not alone in saying the last twelve months have been trying, with a lot of unforeseen turbulence along the way. While we’re certainly not through the woods yet, I do think we can look at our airlines as a true reflection of what’s going on in our economy, our country and the global aviation business … and see some hope for smoother flying ahead.

After much convincing from insiders, I joined the management team at a large Chicago-based airline just a few short months ago. I remember thinking at the time that the sky was still falling and that my business experience would most likely be utilized in another round of bankruptcy proceedings. However, within my first week, I discovered a few amazing things. Not only did the financial world heal itself much faster than expected, allowing many airlines to access the capital needed to weather this unprecedented storm, but I also found people that truly enjoy their work and are willing to make difficult decisions to ensure the viability of air travel as a business. I also happened to join an airline that was transitioning from worst to first in on-time performance and, despite some hiccups, was earning strong customer accolades after years of dreaded customer service. This dramatic shift over such a short period is quite difficult to achieve in any business, much less a Fortune 500 company employing almost 50,000 people.

I wanted to share my experience, not to applaud my new employer or the managers that I am now pleased to call co-workers, but to share the hope that has recently energized my life. I believe that what I have witnessed in this company is the necessary and dramatic healing that needs to occur across the world in both our professional and personal lives (a phoenix rising from the ashes if you will). The fact that this example is coming from the ever-turbulent airline industry is quite remarkable considering the great many industries that are still muddling through change. I truly believe that much of this can be credited to the passion that my co-workers share for flight. While we may never solve the riddle that will allow airlines to be profitable, airfares to be reasonable, and airline employees to appreciate their compensation, aviation has always endured and re-created itself for the benefit of its constituents and I think the dramatic history of the air travel business can serve as an example for everyone.

I believe I am a witness to the opportunity that is presented by the extraordinary times that we are living in, and I hope that everyone takes the time to focus on what is important in your life. Whether it be in the skies, or firmly planted on the ground, if you do what you love, the rest will take care of itself.

Matthew Martin

USN or USAF?

I found this recently on the internet and thought it would be fun to share:

Bob Norris is a former naval aviator who also did a three year exchange tour flying the F-15 Eagle. He is now an accomplished author of entertaining books about US Naval Aviation including “Check Six” and “Fly-Off”. In response to a letter from an aspiring fighter pilot on which military academy to attend, Bob replied with the following:

Young Man,

Congratulations on your selection to both the Naval and Air Force Academies. Your goal of becoming a fighter pilot is impressive and a fine way to serve your country. As you requested, I’d be happy to share some insight into which service would be the best choice. Each service has a distinctly different culture. You need to ask yourself “Which one am I more likely to thrive in?”

USAF Snapshot: The USAF is exceptionally well organized and well run. Their training programs are terrific. All pilots are groomed to meet high standards for knowledge and professionalism. Their aircraft are top-notch and extremely well maintained. Their facilities are excellent. Their enlisted personnel are the brightest and the best trained. The USAF is homogenous and macro. No matter where you go, you’ll know what to expect, what is expected of you, and you’ll be given the training & tools you need to meet those expectations. You will never be put in a situation over your head. Over a 20-year career, you will be home for most important family events. Your Mom would want you to be an Air Force pilot…so would your wife. Your Dad would want your sister to marry one.

Navy Snapshot: Aviators are part of the Navy, but so are Black shoes (surface warfare) and bubble heads (submariners). Furthermore, the Navy is split into two distinctly different Fleets (West and East Coast). The Navy is heterogeneous and micro. Your squadron is your home; it may be great, average, or awful. A squadron can go from one extreme to the other before you know it. You will spend months preparing for cruise and months on cruise. The quality of the aircraft varies directly with the availability of parts. Senior Navy enlisted are salt of the earth; you’ll be proud if you earn their respect. Junior enlisted vary from terrific to the troubled kid the judge made join the service. You will be given the opportunity to lead these people during your career; you will be humbled and get your hands dirty. The quality of your training will vary and sometimes you will be over your head. You will miss many important family events. There will be long stretches of tedious duty aboard ship. You will fly in very bad weather and/or at night and you will be scared many times. You will fly with legends in the Navy and they will kick your ass until you become a lethal force. And some days – when the scheduling Gods have smiled upon you – your jet will catapult into a glorious morning over a far-away sea and you will be drop-jawed that someone would pay you to do it. The hottest girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator. That bar is in Singapore.

Bottom line, son, if you gotta ask…pack warm & good luck in Colorado.

PS Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits.

Well Bob, I’m going to have to disagree – my Air Force Academy graduate husband converted me.  And for the record, he NEVER ironed his flight suit.

“Annie, Annie, Are You Okay?”

I just took my CPR recertification course a few weeks ago. I am a registered nurse and have been taking CPR courses for more than twenty years. Every time I go to recertify, especially recently, there are changes to the way we are supposed to perform. The American Heart Association makes changes as new techniques are discovered which improve the percentage of individuals that recover after cardiac arrest. Makes sense. However, since I first took the course, over twenty years ago, I realize it has become harder, in a sense, because I learned CPR a certain way many years ago, and it’s hard to override that initial training.

This made me think of how my husband LeRoy would describe leaving one airplane to fly on another. For example, the Boeing and Airbus planes are completely different. You cannot take something you’ve learned on one plane and transfer it to another. The results could be catastrophic. A pilot is expected to “dump” everything he has learned on one airplane when he switches to another. It may seem fairly easy. But as I renewed my CPR license in a four hour course, I was really struggling with all the information I had been given before, that was no longer valid. Pilots go away for flight simulator training to learn how to fly newly assigned aircraft for weeks at a time. My frustrations made me think yet again how little credit pilots get.

There will always be people who think since they’ve played a Microsoft flight simulator, they could land an airplane in an emergency. Or the people that assume the co-pilot is only there in case the captain gets food poisoning. Newsflash – the movie Airplane is not entirely accurate, and whether there are two or three pilots in the cockpit, they all know and do fly the aircraft. I know only a small amount of what my husband’s job entailed. Chris Cooke, a domestic pilot who writes for Executive Travel magazine says it best “compartmentalization (the ability to focus on the task at hand) is a skill that pilots work hard to maintain. Operating in an unforgiving three-dimensional environment demands nothing else. We constantly evaluate ourselves and our fellow aviators, and we work hard to enhance your flying experience with a safe, smooth and punctual performance.” He goes on to say that a good pilot will be very critical of his own performance. When I flew as a United Airlines passenger when my husband was flying, he would ask me, “how was my landing?”

So instead of thinking about the negatives, flight delays or having to wait your turn on the runway, think about the skill and knowledge it takes for those pilots to get you from point A to point B, while you sit in a seat, eating, watching a movie or working on your laptop. Just because they make it look easy, doesn’t mean it is.

Bowling For The Love Of Flight

The LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation would like to thank everyone, who attended the September 13, 2009 bowling fundraiser, which was held at Pinsetter Bar & Bowl in Pennsauken, NJ. The event was well organized and well attended. The owner and staff were very accommodating and great to work with. The attendees couldn’t have been happier or more surprised with a delicious hot buffet, which included hot roast beef, pasta with vodka sauce and a garden salad. It was very heartwarming to see families bowling together and the friendly competition was fun and fierce!

Our auction was a great success with many items donated by local retailers. Two sets of airline tickets, cleats autographed by Chase Utley, and Philadelphia Flyers game tickets were some of the featured items. In addition, WMMR donated a visit to their new studio, and a sit in for one lucky winner during the Preston & Steve show! Congratulations Nicole!

One of the most memorable moments of the evening was when The Foundation played a short film of LeRoy doing what he loved to do most, flying. Included in the presentation, were photos of the past and present recipients. It was nice to see that former recipients’ share their journey to becoming professional pilots. All in all, the total amount raised for the evening was almost $6000.00. And although the fundraiser was a huge success, it costs about $12000.00 to fund a single scholarship, so we hope our supporters will continue to think of us. We hope to make the bowling fundraiser an annual event and look forward to your support in the future.

Digna Yeregui, Director At Large

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