UAV graduate school opens

[unhappycamper]

UAV graduate school opens
By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 1, 2009 10:48:17 EST

Airmen flying remote-controlled planes now have a graduate school to attend.

Five unmanned aerial vehicle pilots are about one-third of the way through the first Weapons School course for those at the controls of the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper. The course, taught at the Weapons School headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., started in January and ends in June.

The Air Force delayed start-up of the course last summer as it rushed to increase missions flown over Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead of giving lectures and flying training sorties, the pilots went on operational missions and taught airmen new to UAVs.

“All of our staff instructors got to go on air expeditionary force deployments to support the surge,” said Maj. Joe Campo, the 26th Weapons Squadron’s director of operations.

Besides UAVs, the instructors and students have flown other aircraft. Campo was an F-16 Weapons School instructor. Squadron commander Lt. Col. Daniel Turner flew AC-130 gunships. Maj. Mike Stolley, one of the students, is a former F-16 pilot who now doubles as the squadron’s chief of training.


Rest of article at: http://airforcetimes.com/news/2009/03/airforce_uav_course_030109/%2e