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UAV Pilot Training in Alabama
UAV pilot training in Alabama is currently one of the hottest trends in aviation. Well, actually UAVs are currently one of the hottest trends in aviation. The military has been operating UAVs abroad and along the borders of the US for quite a while now, but the FAA has been slow-moving on civilian UAVs. Considering that the civilian market is positively teeming with potential, there are several reasons to consider UAV pilot trainingAlabama. Civilian UAV pilot training is relatively new.
More than a century ago, two brothers built and successfully flew the first airplane. Before the Wrights' flight, nobody had a need for flight training or pilot certificates. It was a very exciting time in aviation. New developments were made almost daily and by its second decade, aviation was experiencing its golden age.
Among some of that early development were attempts at creating UAVs. Some were marginally successful, but it wasn't until the last few decades that UAVs really became viable. Their development has been predominantly focused on military applications until recently when civilian applications became very attractive.
Much like aviation's golden age, UAVs have reached a critical point in their development where demand for civilian use is dictating the development of regulations and pilots.
UAV Pilot Training in Alabama Prepares You for a Growing Field
There are perhaps hundreds of UAVs currently under development and several more that have a long history in the military. As the only market for UAVs, until recently, the military has been the only provider to offer UAV pilot training inAlabama. With the explosive growth of UAVs and the massive list of potential civilian uses, there is no way soldiers coming out of the military pipeline can fulfill all of the industry demand for UAV pilots.
As development continues on UAVs and the FAA considers regulations that will integrate UAVs into the National Airspace System, it is becoming clear that this is a growth industry and now is the time to get in on the bottom floor.
UAV Pilot Training in Alabama Takes Less Time Than Traditional Flight Training
One of the perks of UAV pilot training is that current programs do not require as much flight time as traditional flight training. This is not to suggest it isn't difficult and time-consuming, but it certainly isn't as expensive. A huge component of current civilian training is conventional flight training and knowledge of basic engineering tests. Such a combination pays off by creating ideal UAV pilots for manufacturers who need pilots who can fly and execute proper flight tests of new aircraft.
If all of this sounds exciting and it interests you, perhaps civilian UAV pilot training in Alabama is in your future. Anyone who gets into the industry in the next few years is definitely in for an exciting ride as the FAA establishes regulations for integrating UAVs into the National Airspace System and as manufacturers continue to develop amazing technologies. One thing is certain, however, and that is that the UAV business isn't boring.
Use of UAS Likely to Expand in Alabama
Remotely piloted vehicles and unmanned drones, collectively known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems, have revolutionized the way the military performs certain tasks. Many tasks that are dangerous or simply boring are routinely handled by these devices in today's military. Now, the FAA is facing mounting pressure from civilian and law enforcement agencies to further expand UAS use into the national airspace system.
Some of the characteristics of these aircraft, such as the Predator B's 20-hour endurance, are unmatched with manned aircraft. This makes them very attractive to agencies like the Coast Guard and law enforcement, who regularly use manned aircraft for long search operations, and energy companies, who regularly use manned aircraft to inspect power-lines or pipelines. The ability of these agencies to use a UAS in place of manned aircraft would represent significant cost savings.
The FAA has thus far been reluctant to approve widespread use of UAS in US airspace due to concerns about interaction with other aircraft. There are currently hundreds of models of UAS in production, and like all aircraft, they range in size and mission. Additionally, they come in two major varieties: drones and remotely piloted vehicles.
Drones are preprogrammed to follow a specific mission and, once launched, perform that mission free of human interaction. RPVs are piloted by people on the ground, but often these people are hundreds or thousands of miles away. Lost communication is a major concern to the FAA, which fears that a rogue UAS could cause serious problems without proper separation from other aircraft.
According to a recent Associated Press article, Marion Blakey, a former FAA administrator, indicated that the FAA's transition from radar-based air traffic control to a satellite-based system will help ease such concerns. Under this system, known as ADS-B, aircraft will continuously advertise their position.
The point to take away from this is that UAS use will only expand in the near future. Within the next decade, organizations as diverse as state police, tornado researchers, and energy companies could be operating UAS on a daily basis.
The FAA World From The Perspective of Air Traffic
At any given moment there are approximately 5,000 aircraft traversing the U.S. skies. The FAA is a year-round, 24/7 operation, responsible for 5.3 million square miles of U.S. domestic airspace and 24 million square miles of U.S. airspace over the oceans. There are 43,290 average daily flights in and out of the U.S. More than 14,000 air traffic controllers manage traffic from many of the FAA’s 700 facilities. Fifty-five hundred airway transportation system specialists maintain more than 70,000 pieces of equipment. Aviation contributes $1.6 trillion annually to the U.S. economy and constitutes 5.1 percent of the gross domestic product. Aviation generates 10 million jobs in the U.S. annually.
Fixed-Wing Aircraft Factoid Landing Gear
The landing gear supports the aircraft during landing and while it is on the ground. Simple aircraft that fly at low speeds generally have fixed gear. This means the gear is stationary and does not retract for flight. Faster, more complex aircraft have retractable landing gear. After takeoff, the landing gear is retracted into the fuselage or wings and out of the airstream. This is important because extended gear create significant parasite drag which reduces performance.