AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2010 - 91

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“You’ve got a lot more options as far as your resources go. And it’s neat to have the [electro-optical infrared] ball to inspect your wings for ice, or your gear. It’s an extra set of eyes.” Still, he said it was a challenge to integrate stick-and-rudder skills. “Having thousands of hours in normal aircraft is great,” said the former naval aviator and instructor pilot, “but with this, it’s sort of like starting over. Most pilots say landing it is more difficult than any other platforms they’ve flown. And I can understand that, looking through a soda straw and without the sensations you’re used to.” The sensor

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“There’s no seat-of-the-pants sensations, or engine sound confirming power changes. When you don’t have them, you notice.”
operator, sitting next to the pilot, helps with clearing turns and other tasks. One floor up from the groundcontrol station, the flight’s progress is monitored on large TV displays in the Predator Operations Center. There, the command duty officer and operational duty officer essentially function as additional crewmembers. One screen shows the pilot’s flight display; others show imagery from the sensor ball and a Google Earth display that provides geographic orientation. A smaller screen shows the forward-looking camera’s view. “I still can’t believe there’s nobody in that thing,” Priddy commented, watching a flight from the operations center. For more information, see AOPA’s regulatory brief on UAS (www.aopa.org/ whatsnew/regulatory/unmanned.html). E-mail the author at mike.collins@ aopa.org.
AOPA PILOT • 91 • NOVEMBER 2010

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2010