21st

Century
Skills Library
Cool military Careers

N a n c y Ro bi n s o n Mas te r s
Published in the United States of America by
Cherry Lake Publishing, Ann Arbor, Michigan
www.cherrylakepublishing.com

Content Adviser
Cynthia Watson, PhD, author of U.S. National Security

Credits
Cover and pages 1 and 26, U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Donald R. Allen/Released;
page 4, U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph M. Buliavac/
Released; page 6, U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Richard A. Tetreau/Released; page 8,
U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Erik Gudmundson/Released; page 9, U.S. Army photo by
Staff Sgt. Kyle Richardson/Released; page 11, U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication
Specialist 2nd Class Alan Gragg/Released; page 12, U.S. Air Force photo by Rich
McFadden/Released; page 14, U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brett Clashman/
Released; pages 16, 22, and 27, DoD photo by Val Gempis, U.S. Air Force/Released;
page 18, U.S. Army photo by Spc. Rosalind Arroyo/Released; page 20, U.S. Air Force
photo by Tech. Sgt. James Harper/Released; page 24, U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance
Cpl. Michael C. Nerl/Released; page 29, U.S. Army photo by Spc. Roland Hale/Released

Copyright ©2013 by Cherry Lake Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or
by any means without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Masters, Nancy Robinson.
Drone pilot/by Nancy Robinson Masters.
    p. cm.—(Cool military careers)
  Includes bibliographical references and index.
  Audience: Grades 4–6.
  ISBN 978-1-61080-448-6 (lib. bdg.) — ISBN 978-1-61080-535-3 (e-book) —
ISBN 978-1-61080-622-0 (pbk.)
1. Drone aircraft—United States—Juvenile literature. 2. Air pilots, Military—
United States—Juvenile literature. 3. United States—Armed Forces—Vocational
guidance—Juvenile literature.
  UG1242.D7M36 2012
 358.4—dc23 2012010756

Cherry Lake Publishing would like to acknowledge

the work of The Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Please visit www.21stcenturyskills.org for more information.

Printed in the United States of America

Corporate Graphics Inc.
July 2012
CLFA11
 drone pilot
Cool military Careers

Table of contents

Chapter one

What Are Drones? . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter two

Training to Be a
  Drone Pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Chapter three

Flying a Drone . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Chapter four

Drone Pilots in the

 Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

Chapter One

What Are
Drones?

“Z ack! Look at this!”

Cassie clicked the computer mouse. A video began playing
on the monitor. The video showed a swarm of 16 robots that

Unmanned aerial vehicles are much smaller

than aircraft that are built to hold pilots.
looked like tiny helicopters. They were flying inside a gymna-
sium. Each was about the size of a large dinner plate. Four small,
whirling rotary blades provided lift as they flew through the air.
“Wow! Is this a new science-fiction movie?” Zack asked.
He and his sister were huge sci-fi fans.
“No, this is even better. This is a video made at a scientific
research facility,” Cassie said. “These are remotely piloted
aircraft being tested for future military use. This video dem-
onstrates how one military pilot may be able to fly 16 aircraft
at the same time without them crashing into each other.”
Zack took a deep breath. He had wanted to be a military
pilot since he began flying remote-controlled model aircraft.
It would be awesome to be the pilot of 16 aircraft flying at the
same time!
“On an actual mission, the pilot might be thousands of
miles away,” Cassie said. “Or the pilot could be flying in an
aircraft while also controlling a group of unmanned aircraft.
That’s what a drone pilot does. That would be a cool military
career for you, Zack.”
Zack smiled. It would be a cool military career for his
sister, too!

   

Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Military

pilots usually refer to them as remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

They are the “eyes in the skies” for the troops on the ground.
Drones are the fastest-growing type of airplane being devel-
oped and used by the United States military. In the near
future, they will be as important as combat pilots in the
country’s armed forces.
Drones are used for intelligence flights to gather secret
information, for surveillance flights to observe what is

UAVs can operate in combat areas while

their pilots are in less dangerous locations.
happening on the ground, and for reconnaissance flights
to explore unknown or unsafe areas. Drones armed with
missiles and bombs are used to attack targets in combat
zones. Almost one out of every three aircraft used by the U.S.
military is a drone.

Life & Career SKILLS

Not all drone pilots work in the military. Some

work for government agencies, state and local
governments, and large businesses. In these
jobs, becoming a UAV pilot is similar to becoming
an airline pilot. If you want to start out earning a
high salary, you’ll need a four-year college degree
in engineering or aeronautics. Some people attend
a college that offers a four-year degree and pilot
training programs together. Doing that, you’ll earn
your degree and enough flight hours to qualify
for an entry-level remotely piloted aircraft job.
Whether you go to college or not, you’ll need to
earn a pilot license and log at least 500 hours of
pilot-in-command flight hours.
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

Drones range in size from those with wingspans of less

than 3 feet (0.9 meters) to the RQ-11B Raven with a wingspan
of 4.5 feet (1.4 m) to the MQ-9 Reaper, which has a 66-foot
(20.1 m) wingspan. The RQ-11B Raven weighs only 4 pounds
(1.8 kilograms) and can be hand-launched by a person on the
ground. The MQ-1 Predator, one of the most widely used
drones, is 27 feet (8.2 m) long and has a wingspan of 48.7 feet
(14.8 m). A helium-filled spy balloon equipped with a camera

The MQ-9 Reaper can carry up to 3,750 pounds

(1701 kg) of bombs and missiles.
The RQ-11B Raven is extremely
small and lightweight.
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

is the largest drone. This blimp is held to the ground by cables

and floats 15,000 feet (4,572 m) in the air.
Some drones can be used for multiple purposes. Reapers
can be used for spying and for attacking targets with weapons.
The QF-4 drone is an F-4 Phantom jet that has been converted
to a dual-purpose drone that flys at 1,600 miles (2,575 kilo-
meters) an hour. It can be flown unmanned for missile target
practice, or it can be flown with a pilot on board to teach
combat maneuvers to pilots in other aircraft.
The U.S. Air Force flies more drones than any other branch
of the military, but it is not the only branch that uses RPAs. The
U.S. Navy uses the MQ-8B Fire Scout helicopter and is testing
the experimental X-47B unmanned combat aircraft. The X-47B
will take off from and land on aircraft carriers, and will
be controlled only by onboard computer systems. The navy is
also testing drones that can travel underwater like submarines.
The U.S. Army and Marine Corps use the RQ-7 Shadow
for reconnaissance missions. The Grey Eagle drone assigned
to the Army Combat Aircraft Brigade is similar to the Air
Force Predator drone. Other government agencies, such as the
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the organization responsi-
ble for providing national security intelligence to U.S. leaders,
also use drones.
The MQ-8B Fire Scout is often used for
reconnaissance missions.
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

Chapter Two

Training to Be
a Drone Pilot

J oining the armed forces is a life-changing deci-

sion, so think carefully before you make the move. Give

Pilots learn about all of their UAV s

capabilities during training.
much thought as to why you want to join. Is it to get a job?
Perhaps you want to serve your country? Is it to learn a trade?
Are you looking for adventure and excitement? Whatever
your reasons, speak with your family to get their support.
You can also speak with a military recruiter, who will
be able to give you all the details about serving in the U.S.
armed forces. Each branch of the military has its own
knowledgeable recruiters.
You must be a member of the army, navy, air force, marines
or coast guard before you can fly military drones. You may be
assigned to a drone squadron, or you may apply to fly drones after
you complete basic training in the branch of the military you join.
Both men and women are permitted to be drone pilots.
The first drone pilots were experienced combat or support
aircraft pilots. The air force has recently developed a train-
ing program that teaches members of the military who have
never flown an airplane to be a drone pilot. Today, the air
force trains more drone pilots than it trains pilots of manned
bombers and fighters combined. It also trains more drone
pilots than any other branch of the military.
Competition for drone pilot training among nonpilots in
the military is fierce. However, not many experienced combat
or support aircraft pilots apply for drone positions. They pre-
fer to fly manned aircraft.
The plan for training RPA pilots to become full professionals
is called the drone pipeline. If you are already a military pilot,
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

you begin the pipeline by attending the RPA qualification

course. Here you train on simulators to learn computer
and communication skills that are unique to flying drones.
This is followed by a course to learn military tactics for
conducting drone missions.
If you are selected for drone pilot training but are not
already a military pilot, your first step on the pipeline will be

Drone pilots must train to fly manned aircraft before flying drones.
to log several hours of actual flight training in an airplane. You
will do this before you begin the RPA qualification course.
Drone pilots must pass physical requirements just like
pilots who fly manned aircraft. Good vision is necessary,
although a drone pilot’s vision does not need to be as good as
that of a fighter pilot. Here’s a brief look at the five skills you’ll
need to be a successful drone pilot:
Dedicated
Responsible
Organized
Never out of control
Eager to get the job done right
Student drone pilots and sensor operators begin work-
ing together for the first time during advanced drone flight
training. Most of this training is conducted at Holloman Air
Force Base in New Mexico and at Creech Air Force Base in
Nevada. The pilot and sensor operator sit side by side at a
workstation in a simulator bay, which is a small room that
contains computer processors and monitors. Their worksta-
tion is a copy of the Predator drone’s cockpit.
An instructor puts up images of a foreign combat zone on
their computer screens. He tells the pilot and sensor operator
trainees that they are to simulate flying a drone under com-
bat conditions. The students train in long shifts, learning to
use top-secret computer programs and equipment. They also
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

learn to manage their levels of fatigue and stress, and to

deal with periods of boredom that are a part of some drone
missions.
After mastering the simulator, the trainees are assigned to
ground control stations on the tarmac of the air force base
runway. Sitting in large, rectangular, metal storage containers,
the students actually control real Predators and Reapers on
test runs. After their shift, another team comes in to
relieve them.

Pilots get experience controlling UAVs during

their time at ground control stations.
 LEARNING &
INNOVATION SKILLS

Drone sensors are systems built into RPAs to

collect and store intelligence and reconnaissance
information. Sensor operators work alongside
drone pilots and assist in preflight and in-flight
planning activities and navigation. They also
research and study target imagery, monitor drone
weapons systems, and assemble information
about enemy forces. They often determine
possible tactics for their RPAs to take. Sensor
operators must think fast and react promptly to
information being provided by the drone sensors.
A student training to be a sensor operator is often
paired with an RPA pilot trainee, and they attend a
course together as a two-person flight team.

Pilots graduate from advanced training ready to operate

Predator and Reaper drones. They have the skills necessary
to learn to fly other kinds of drones as well, but they must be
flexible and able to adapt quickly to changing technology.
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

Chapter Three

Flying a Drone

S ince the September 11, 2001, terrorist

attacks on the United States, the number of drones used
by the U.S. military has increased from 60 to about 6,000.
Drones are ideal weapons when fighting enemies in distant
nations such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. They can

Drones have played a major role in recent

combat operations in Afghanistan.
stay in the air for 24 hours or longer, and they have the
ability to track and attack enemies while keeping U.S.
forces out of harm’s way.
Amazingly, a drone pilot at a command center in the
United States can safely control a drone launched from a
location thousands of miles away. In some cases, the drone
pilot may be working from a ground control room close to
the target area. In either case, drone technology is changing
the way wars are being fought.

Life & Career SKILLS

Do you like to play video games? The USAF 558th

Training Squadron at Randolph Air Force Base in
San Antonio, Texas, has a goal of training 180
drone pilots each year. Some of the pilots in
training come from other branches of the military.
Others come from countries that are working
with the United States against a common threat.
“One of the first things all drone pilots learn is
that flying a military drone is not the same thing
as playing a video game on a computer,” the
squadron commander explains. “However, some
of the skills used to play computer games can be
helpful when learning to be a drone pilot.” What
computer game skills do you think would be helpful
for a drone pilot to have?
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

Two of the most widely used drones in Afghanistan and

Pakistan are the medium-size Predator and Reaper. These
odd-looking crafts can be equipped with television cameras,
infrared sighting devices used for low-light conditions, and
lasers for targeting. Both types of drones can be fitted with
deadly laser-guided bombs and missiles.
Drone operators close to the location of the mission
handle drone takeoffs and landings. Once the drone is air-
borne, military drone pilots, usually located at an airbase in

Predator drones allow their pilots to see

deep into enemy territory.
the United States, take over the flight activities—thousands of
miles away from the action. Bouncing commands off a satel-
lite link orbiting high above Earth, the pilot and sensor opera-
tor guide the drone to its target to carry out its mission. The
pilot relies on cameras inside the drone to see what’s going
on around the craft. The drone is also capable of transmitting
data and images to ground troops near the target. They make
decisions about controlling the drone based on the informa-
tion they receive.
Being a drone pilot puts you on the “virtual” front lines of
war. With your bank of computer screens and control devices
at hand, you can see a battle unfold in front of you from far
away. Captain Alex is one such “virtual” soldier. He is a mem-
ber of the air force who has been a drone pilot for two years.
Like other active-duty drone pilots, Captain Alex identifies
himself only by his rank and first name while he is working a
drone mission.
Captain Alex works with a combat air patrol unit based
in a secret location near a war zone. Their missions include
using a Predator drone to track the movements of suspected
terrorists. Alex uses a keyboard and a control stick like those
used by fighter pilots to control the drone circling 30,000 feet
(9,144 m) above a remote mountain area in Afghanistan.
Alex begins his day with a briefing with other team mem-
bers. He works an eight-hour shift in a darkened room lit only
by the glow of light from flat computer screens. The room is
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

underground at a drone command center far from the battle-

field. While on duty, he wears an air force flight suit. He
earns flight pay in addition to his regular air force salary.
Unlike flying a manned aircraft, there is no feeling of
thrust or pull of gravity when he moves the controls. The clos-
est Alex has ever been to an actual manned fighter or bomber

In some ways, controlling a drone is

similar to playing a video game.
aircraft was while he was in training to fly drones. “Our work-
station was next to a runway where B-1 bombers landed
to refuel,” he said. “Everything shook when a B-1 took off,
including us!”
The sensor operator seated next to Alex relays informa-
tion received from the drone sensors and from members of
the combat air patrol team on the ground where the Predator
is based. These crew members are responsible for maintain-
ing the Predator that Alex flies. “When people ask me what I
do, I tell them I am a pilot. When they ask me what I fly, I just
smile and tell them I fly airplanes,” Alex says. “That’s all.”
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

Chapter Four

Drone Pilots in
 the Future

A
  career as a drone pilot will be very different
in the future. New technology will allow machines to perform

More and more missions are being flown by

UAVs instead of manned aircraft.
jobs that now require human intelligence. For example, a test
program is under way to allow the Global Hawk drone—with
its 17,300-gallon (65,488-liter) fuel capacity—to refuel another
Global Hawk drone in the air using only computer instructions
and responses. Some military career planners think human
hands will never touch the controls of drones during military
operations in the future. Other career planners believe human
pilots will always be needed.

21st Century Content

Drones were originally designed to be a “flying pair

of binoculars.” But U.S. military leaders saw the
potential to use them as offensive weapons, and
drones were eventually built to carry weapons.
Future uses of military drones include carrying
cargo and delivering medical supplies and
equipment to remote locations. The drones will be
able to drop their loads at a prearranged spot, or
on directions from the ground, and then return to
their home bases. The UAVs will be able to land
automatically or by remote control.
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

The U.S. military is currently fine-tuning a helicopter-style

drone that can take off straight up, meaning that runways will
not be needed. The new craft, the A160 Hummingbird, will
also be able to hover. It will be equipped with video equip-
ment that is strong enough to track vehicles and people from
heights of more than 20,000 feet (6,096 m) across almost
65 square miles (168 sq km).

Drones are sure to play an important

role in the U.S. military in the future.
New technology will make
UAVs even more useful.
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

Smaller drone designs are being developed for use in the

21st century. Researchers and scientists at a laboratory at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio are experimenting
with drones that can imitate the flight of moths and hawks.
They are also working to shrink drones that can spy and strike
to the size of insects. By 2030, the U.S. military hopes to have
swarms of these “spy flies” operating.
As technology advances and the U.S. military comes to
rely more on UAVs, the future for drone pilots looks to be busy.
The air force’s current staff of about 350 drone pilots and their
support crews have been pushed to their limits. The search is
on for competent, highly qualified men and women to step up
and take the controls of this cutting-edge technology. Do you
have the right stuff to make a difference in the U.S. military?
Will you become a drone pilot one day?
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

Glossary

aircraft carriers (AIR-kraft KAR-ee-urz) warships with a

large, flat deck where aircraft take off and land

drone (DROHN) an unmanned aerial vehicle that is controlled

remotely

hover (HUHV-ur) to remain in one place in the air

intelligence (in-TEL-uh-juhnts) information gathered and used by

government agencies to plan and make important decisions

rank (RANGK) official job level or position

reconnaissance (ri-KON-uh-zuhnts) a survey of an area to

gather information

recruiter (ri-KROO-tur) a military employee in charge of

signing up new members and providing information to people who are
interested in joining the military

remotely (ri-MOHT-lee) from far away

sensor (SEN-suhr) instrument that can detect and measure

changes and transmit the information to a controlling device

simulators (SIM-yuh-lay-turz) machines that allow you to perform

a task, such as flying a plane, by imitating the conditions and controls

surveillance (sur-VAY-luntz) close observation of a person or

group

tactics (TAK-tiks) plans or methods to win a battle

tarmac (TAR-mak) the area of an airfield where craft take off and
land
For More Information

Books

Hamilton, John. UAVs: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Minneapolis, MN:

Abdo, 2012.

Yenne, Bill. Birds of Prey: Predators, Reapers and America’s

Newest UAVs in Combat. North Branch, MN: Specialty Press, 2010.

Web Sites

Aviation Schools Online—UAV and UAS Pilot & Sensor

Operator Careers
www.aviationschoolsonline.com/faqs/uav-pilot-careers.php
Learn more about drone pilots, sensor operators, and schools that
provide training for future UAV workers.

U.S. Air Force

www.airforce.com
Check out this site to learn more about careers, benefits, and life in the
air force, as well as see exciting videos of high-flying air force action.
21st Century Skills Library C o o l M i l i ta r y C a r e e r s drone pilot

index
Afghanistan, 18, 20, 21 missiles, 7, 10, 20 salary, 7, 22
MQ-1 Predator, 8, sensor operators, 15,
branches, 10, 13, 19 10, 15, 16, 17, 17, 21, 23
20, 21, 23 simulators, 14,
control distance, 19, MQ-9 Reaper, 8, 10, 15–16
20–21 16, 17, 20 sizes, 8, 20, 28
control stations, 16, skills, 14, 15, 17, 19
21–22 Pakistan, 18, 20 spy balloons, 8, 10
physical requirements, surveillance, 6–7, 21,
dual-purpose drones, 15 26
10 Pipeline, 13–15
terrorism, 18, 21
education, 7 QF-4 drone, 10 training, 7, 13–17,
enlistment, 12–13 19, 23
equipment, 10, 20, reconnaissance, 7,
25, 26 10, 17 unmanned aerial
remotely piloted vehicles (UAVs), 5,
intelligence, 6, 10, aircraft (RPA), 5, 7, 7, 25, 28
17 10, 13, 17
RPA Qualification weapons, 7, 10, 17,
landings, 10, 20, 25 Course, 14, 15 20, 25

about the author

Nancy Robinson Masters is an airplane pilot who has written

dozens of books and more than 3,000 feature stories about airplanes
and aviation. She presents visiting author programs at schools and
was named the Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the U.S. Air Force
in recognition of her patriotic support of American air power and the
freedom of free people to read and write. Nancy and her husband,
veteran aviator Bill Masters, live in the Elmdale Community near
Abilene, Texas.