Which Pilot Advocacy Group Will Embrace UAS Pilots?

jnmeade

jnmeade

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Jim Meade
Since there is a projection that there will be many UAS operations in the next few years, will any of the aviation alphabet soup groups decide to try to recruit and support them?

A pilot is a pilot, but, per FAA N 8900.227, not all UAS operators must have a pilot's certificate.

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N_8900.227.pdf

"(2)
PIC Rating Requirements. Rating requirements for the UAS PIC depend on the type of operation conducted; they fall into two categories:
•
Operations that require at least a private pilot certificate or FAA-recognized equivalent, or
•
Operations that do not require at least a private pilot certificate or FAA-recognized equivalent."

If some organization goes after non-pilot UAS operators, will they also recruit RC operators? Would that mean providing services and support to these groups? Strength in number and all that jazz, you know.
 
Teamsters. All uas pilots do is sit around drinking coffee. Match made in heaven.
 
jnmeade said:
A pilot is a pilot, but, per FAA N 8900.227, not all UAS operators must have a pilot's certificate.
Click to expand...

feh - a UAS operator is no pilot. If your butt is sitting on the ground instead of the airplane, you ain't a pilot.

yes, I'm a grumpy old fart.
 
Probably a few computer clubs around or Microsoft,I would hope the alphabets would not even consider it.
 
jnmeade said:
Since there is a projection that there will be many UAS operations in the next few years, will any of the aviation alphabet soup groups decide to try to recruit and support them?

A pilot is a pilot, but, per FAA N 8900.227, not all UAS operators must have a pilot's certificate.

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N_8900.227.pdf

"(2)
PIC Rating Requirements. Rating requirements for the UAS PIC depend on the type of operation conducted; they fall into two categories:
•
Operations that require at least a private pilot certificate or FAA-recognized equivalent, or
•
Operations that do not require at least a private pilot certificate or FAA-recognized equivalent."

If some organization goes after non-pilot UAS operators, will they also recruit RC operators? Would that mean providing services and support to these groups? Strength in number and all that jazz, you know.
Click to expand...

Probably the ESA
 
Bob Noel said:
feh - a UAS operator is no pilot.
Click to expand...

This attitude concerns me. I know 12 UAS operators personally, and every one of them is a certificated pilot that flies piloted aircraft outside of their employment (and a little bit for their employment as well).

They are pilots, aren't they? I suppose then, if you are not a commercially-employed pilot, then you are no pilot either. (By "you" I do not mean the poster to which I am replying, I mean "you" in a general sense.)
 
darrell said:
This attitude concerns me. I know 12 UAS operators personally, and every one of them is a certificated pilot that flies piloted aircraft outside of their employment (and a little bit for their employment as well).

They are pilots, aren't they? I suppose then, if you are not a commercially-employed pilot, then you are no pilot either. (By "you" I do not mean the poster to which I am replying, I mean "you" in a general sense.)
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They are pilots, but not acting as a pilot when operating a UAS. They aren't acting as a pilot when driving a car either.
 
Civilian operators have their own advocacy group.

http://www.auvsi.org/

The military and some gov. agencies make their own rules.

The FAA is still scratching its collective head on the subject.
 
Bob Noel said:
They are pilots, but not acting as a pilot when operating a UAS. They aren't acting as a pilot when driving a car either.
Click to expand...
I know you're speaking with tongue in cheek, but just for the benefit of those who may not have picked that up, they are indeed considered to be pilots by the FAA. See the referenced document in the OP.

It is interesting to me that most seem to not want to join forces with them and advocate for aviation in general but would seem to prefer to oppose them. When we need all the help we can get, I supposed some groups would like to have their membership numbers and added political clout that comes with it.

Interesting reaction.
 
jnmeade said:
I know you're speaking with tongue in cheek, but just for the benefit of those who may not have picked that up, they are indeed considered to be pilots by the FAA. See the referenced document in the OP.
Click to expand...

No. I'm not speaking tongue in cheek. I understand what the FAA (and military) considers pilots wrt UAS operators. Consider the piloting skills required to type commands into a computer.
 
Bob Noel said:
No. I'm not speaking tongue in cheek. I understand what the FAA (and military) considers pilots wrt UAS operators. Consider the piloting skills required to type commands into a computer.
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You mean like in an Airbus or Boeing?
 
FYI - I don't see how it could require a Pilot Certificate unless it falls outside the category of Ultralight. I doubt many RCs weight that much.
 
SkyHog said:
FYI - I don't see how it could require a Pilot Certificate unless it falls outside the category of Ultralight. I doubt many RCs weight that much.
Click to expand...

Read what the FAA is using in their approval process for UAS certification.
 
They already have the best advocacy group in the country--The United States Congress.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
You mean like in an Airbus or Boeing?
Click to expand...

Nope.

I mean like the guy sitting in a chair on the ground and typing commands into a keyboard. He doesn't even have a joystick to directly (more-or-less) control the attitude of the aircraft.
 
jnmeade said:
Read what the FAA is using in their approval process for UAS certification.
Click to expand...

I fully get why you might want a trained pilot in operation of a UAS.

I don't get why they're requiring currency in real aircraft. I could certainly appreciate the value of requiring currency on a UAS. Would you want somebody to captain an airliner if they haven't flown one in a year but have spent lots of time helming a submarine? Basing UAS currency on manned aircraft currency makes about as much sense.
 
rich0 said:
I fully get why you might want a trained pilot in operation of a UAS.

I don't get why they're requiring currency in real aircraft. I could certainly appreciate the value of requiring currency on a UAS. Would you want somebody to captain an airliner if they haven't flown one in a year but have spent lots of time helming a submarine? Basing UAS currency on manned aircraft currency makes about as much sense.
Click to expand...

It makes sense based on the type of UAS being operated (Remotely Piloted vs Operated), as well as WHERE he operates it. Forcing the operator to maintain currency in a manned aircraft reinforces his understanding of the FARs as well as reminds him of basic aerodynamics.

I'm on my non-flying tour now and consider myself extremely lucky to have drawn orders to an Unmanned Squadron. In fact, it has me strongly considering a permanent transition to the community.
 
ClimbnSink said:
Teamsters. All uas pilots do is sit around drinking coffee. Match made in heaven.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I follow your attack on a labor group which also includes pilots.

Perhaps you should take a civics class and learn to appreciate the improvements labor unions have made to the working class...including pilots and aircraft mechanics.
 
mcoflyer said:
I'm not sure I follow your attack on a labor group which also includes pilots.

Perhaps you should take a civics class and learn to appreciate the improvements labor unions have made to the working class...including pilots and aircraft mechanics.
Click to expand...

Haha I studied labor at Cornell. Knows all bouts it. Had a professor that claimed to be the guy that destroyed Eastern airlines. Cool guy.
 
ClimbnSink said:
Haha I studied labor at Cornell. Knows all bouts it. Had a professor that claimed to be the guy that destroyed Eastern airlines. Cool guy.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that Frank Lorenzo is a professor at Cornell. Interesting...
 
Bob Noel said:
feh - a UAS operator is no pilot. If your butt is sitting on the ground instead of the airplane, you ain't a pilot.

yes, I'm a grumpy old fart.
Click to expand...

I'm a grumpy young fart and I agree. Without some personal attachment to the outcome of the flight, it's just a fancy video game with a really expensive reset button.
 
mcoflyer said:
I didn't know that Frank Lorenzo is a professor at Cornell. Interesting...
Click to expand...
There you go, silly pilots always blaming management. It was the guy behind the union that didn't fold and go back to work. If pilots are college educated white collar professionals why they need a union anyway?:rofl:
 
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