Service tries to cut unmanned craft crash rate

[unhappycamper]

Service tries to cut unmanned craft crash rate
Posted : Saturday Oct 11, 2008 7:00:53 EDT

The Air Force Safety Center is working to reduce the high crash rate for the remote-controlled Predator and its larger brother, the Reaper.

Accident rates for remote-controlled aircraft are counted separately from manned aircraft. During fiscal 2008, 10 MQ-1 Predators crashed, with a mishap rate of 6.99 per 100,000 flying hours.

The Air Force lost two MQ-9 Reapers — for a rate of 14.7.

Col. Sid Mayeux, chief of the Safety Center’s Aviation Safety Division, pointed out that while the number of Predator and Reaper crashes doubled in 2008, the number of unmanned vehicle flight hours doubled, too, as more aircraft are deployed and aircrews trained.

The RQ-4 Global Hawk flew without a significant accident.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/10/airforce_safety_side_101108/%2e

[patrice]

1. Though I deeply disagree with proxy wars, I have to say that there is at least a fundamental

ethic, something that I can respect, in putting one's own life freely and DIRECTLY on the line for _____________ against an enemy that is your autonomous equal and has made a similar value decision about _____________.

War by remote control machine is the absolute essence of EVIL.

[Crowman1979]

2. Unmanned aircraft should have no weapons under any circumstances.

Recon and observation only IMO. Heck maybe they should use balloons instead, that would drive down the costs.