Sunday, July 08, 2012

Clueless in New York

Drone pilots, like all other military aviation types, must train. They train in the United States, logically enough. They learn to operate their equipment first in terms of basic functions such as take-off, navigation and landing. Then they learn to operate the various sensors and systems which allow the drones to be effective as military weapons.

That should make sense even to some liberal twit who has never worn a uniform or had their tender pink body exposed to either hostile fire or desert sand fleas. But, we get this astonished report:

Drones Track Vehicles on Desert Roads

The vehicle is driving along the road. The drone tracks it. The operator gets practice and training. The vehicle is undisturbed and not endangered. Seems like a win-win, unless you work for the NYT.

Then obviously what is desired is that we spend a lot of bucks to buy a fleet of target vehicles, hire a bunch of drivers and then probably operate the fleet in a designated range training area.

Maybe it's just that I'm getting old. I could spend several days recounting stories to that reporter about targeting, tracking, simulated dive bombing and simply blowing the dust off of trucks, trains, cars, boats and shepherds around the world. No animals were harmed in the making of those fighter pilots.

3 comments:

Ed Skinner said...

Years ago on a remote stretch of a dirt-packed shortcut in a barren area near Prescott AZ, we were "attacked" by an F-something with a real low, near supersonic pass. No warning, no sound, just a "Boom!" that shook the car, the doors and the fillings in our teeth. Coming from a hind quarter, the jet disappeared out the front windshield of the family Volvo in a matter of seconds.

We stopped and got everyone out for his next pass but I guess he saw us waiting. The next pass was slower and higher. We waved and got a victory roll for reply.

You won't get that from a drone!

hitman said...

It was about 1984. I was driving a new bright red delivery truck from Chicago to deliver in Orlando. I was on I-24 northwest of Nashville when I spotted an F-4 in a dive with the nose pointed right at me. There was almost no other traffic and with the bright red truck, I knew he was using me as a target. I immediatly began swerving from lane to lane and at the same time flashing the headlights on and off as fast as I could.(shooting back) I'm lucky I didn't get stopped by the cops, but I'm guessing that the crew in the Phantom got apretty good chuckle.

Ed Skinner said...

Hitman: Damn, I should'a done that in the Volvo!