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End to pilots?

mjcIII

USMC LCpl
I was watching Warplane last night. During the second segment a particular phrase stuck out at me: "fighter pilots are a dying breed." Does anyone have any hypothesis' about how long pilots will stick around for (in military aviation), with the advancement of UAV's?
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I was watching Warplane last night. During the second segment a particular phrase stuck out at me: "fighter pilots are a dying breed." Does anyone have any hypothesis' about how long pilots will stick around for (in military aviation), with the advancement of UAV's?

This has been discussed ad infinitum. Use the search function.

Brett
 

BurghGuy

Master your ego, and you own your destiny.
Theres been a few topics posted about this before, just do a search. I'd say that's just wishful thinking. Like when they say we're going to Mars "soon". Meaning sometime in the next 30 years.
Point is, it takes a long time for a significant change to really be enacted. UAVs are certainly being used, but they're also still being researched into their effective usage. So I say, don't hold your breath on fighter pilots disapearing anytime soon, especially with the JSF on its sometime in the next 5-10 years. But you don't have to take my word for it. It's just my opinion.
 

snake020

Contributor
An extremely reliable source in C-pool of which I guarantee has 95% certainty states that at the end of FY09, all Hornets and Super Hornets will be shoved into the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to build artificial reefs for the manatees and the Predator and Global Hawk will assume their roles...


come on man, they're buying more Super Hornets, Growlers, and between the Marines and the air scouts included thousands of F-35s. Fighter pilots are not disappearing anytime soon.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
An extremely reliable source in C-pool of which I guarantee has 95% certainty states that at the end of FY09, all Hornets and Super Hornets will be shoved into the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to build artificial reefs for the manatees and the Predator and Global Hawk will assume their roles...


come on man, they're buying more Super Hornets, Growlers, and between the Marines and the air scouts included thousands of F-35s. Fighter pilots are not disappearing anytime soon.

Are you saying that the Predator will be replacing the Manatee as well? Sweet mother of God. Don't get me started on the Manatees and their human flesh craving ways. One of them crawled ashore, managed to open the zipper on my tent, and tried to drag me back into the murky depths by the knee. Sons of b!tches! Fortunately, I managed to pry the beast's jaws open with a camping spatula, narrowly escaping with my life. My grudge against them is second only to my grudge against the thieving Marines.

Brett
 

Zilch

This...is...Caketown!
Are you saying that the Predator will be replacing the Manatee as well? Sweet mother of God. Don't get me started on the Manatees and their human flesh craving ways. One of them crawled ashore, managed to open the zipper on my tent, and tried to drag me back into the murky depths by the knee. Sons of b!tches! Fortunately, I managed to pry the beast's jaws open with a camping spatula, narrowly escaping with my life. My grudge against them is second only to my grudge against the thieving Marines.

Brett

I can only type this after a good five minutes of uncontrollable laughter.
 

thull

Well-Known Member
Are you saying that the Predator will be replacing the Manatee as well? Sweet mother of God. Don't get me started on the Manatees and their human flesh craving ways. One of them crawled ashore, managed to open the zipper on my tent, and tried to drag me back into the murky depths by the knee. Sons of b!tches! Fortunately, I managed to pry the beast's jaws open with a camping spatula, narrowly escaping with my life. My grudge against them is second only to my grudge against the thieving Marines.

Brett

Crazy story.. but I'm going to have to call you on the Thieving Marines. you probably just made that part up...
 

Harrier Dude

Living the dream
You obviously haven't heard Brett's delusional rantings about alleged bike thievery in Iwakuni.

Remember, it's only stealing when you intend to keep it.
 

eddie

Working Plan B
Contributor
Crazy story.. but I'm going to have to call you on the Thieving Marines. you probably just made that part up...

HAHAHAHAHA...

Your're going to have to ask Jimmy Carville, "Why the long face?"

classic_34_red_tricycle.jpg
 

thull

Well-Known Member
I was watching Warplane last night. During the second segment a particular phrase stuck out at me: "fighter pilots are a dying breed." Does anyone have any hypothesis' about how long pilots will stick around for (in military aviation), with the advancement of UAV's?

my .02:

While UAV's offer several advantages over on-board piloted aircraft, such as structural vs. physiological g-force limitations, and of course primarily pilot safety, there are advantages to the latter that I can't imagine would ever be equaled or outdone by UAV's. These include things like orientation, perception and reaction time.

That is to say, the accuracy of information available to UAV pilots will always be only as good as the instruments and the time delay (however miniscule) of the information as it appears to the UAV pilot on the ground (and accuracy of display of that information). These tiny differences can mean the difference between life and death of ground troops when it comes to Air support operations, search and rescue, etc. I just don't see computers ever fully replacing a person on board the aircraft, controlling the aircraft, for the full spectrum of operational necessities required by the military, either now or in the future.
 

joboy_2.0

professional undergraduate
Contributor
my .02:

While UAV's offer several advantages over on-board piloted aircraft, such as structural vs. physiological g-force limitations, and of course primarily pilot safety, there are advantages to the latter that I can't imagine would ever be equaled or outdone by UAV's. These include things like orientation, perception and reaction time.

That is to say, the accuracy of information available to UAV pilots will always be only as good as the instruments and the time delay (however miniscule) of the information as it appears to the UAV pilot on the ground (and accuracy of display of that information). These tiny differences can mean the difference between life and death of ground troops when it comes to Air support operations, search and rescue, etc. I just don't see computers ever fully replacing a person on board the aircraft, controlling the aircraft, for the full spectrum of operational necessities required by the military, either now or in the future.

to add some food for thought

UAV's may be a possibility, but I doubt for fighter/strike vehicles. As for completely autonomous aircraft? Unlikely. The legal implications if a mission goes awry is enough to put a stop to that. The moral and legal implications of an autonomous strike vehicle make that idea impossible. What happens if something goes wrong and innocent people/things get killed? Who takes the fall?
 

Latty

New Member
HAHA. I just said to a civilian friend the other day that basically I do what R2D2 did for Luke SKywalker. I make things beep, blip, and try to help the pilot fix stuff.

So I guess that answers the question as to whether NFO's or Pilots will be replaced with robots first . . .
 

e6bflyer

Used to Care
pilot
Yes, thank you to the NFOs who keep us pilots from making asses out of ourselves when we are left all by ourselves. Thankfully the T-34 is so easy, even a caveman can figure it out.

caveman_1.jpg
 
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