Air Force Announces Dedicated UAV Pilot Training

After some early experiments, the Air Force announced that it is establishing an official, dedicated “undergraduate RPA training (URT)” pipeline.  The first class is slated to begin in October 2010.

According to the release, RPA (UAV) pilots will be part of the 18X career field, which is a rated field equivalent to traditional aviators.  They will receive aviation incentive pay, and incur a 6 year active duty service commitment.