Border patrol drone crashes

Well, I guess that's the inevitable reality of pilotless aircraft.

I dunno, I'm trying to think of something witty to say, and I can't think of it.

**Insert Nickism here**
 
$6,500,000 / 900 = $7,222.22

Shoot...I'd fly the Mooney around for 'em at 7 grand an hour and they can have the plane after 900 hours.

Len
 
I'd like to know why they had to search for it. It has onboard GPS and a camera.

The pilot didn't know where it was? :dunno:
 
fgcason said:
Penny Pincher Pilotless Airlines:
Click to expand...

Penny Pinching...you are kidding right...look at the price tag on one of those things...$6.5 million dollars...do you know how many 500 hour commerical pilots flying Cessna 172's you can get for that....jeez you can probably get a bunch of pilots that would fly the planes for free just to build hours....why you could put so many faded orange, green & brown Skyhawks in the air that it would blot out the sun at noon for 6.5 million dollars.

Len
 
I just did a little math...using 172s you could probably launch 4 squadrons (at 30 planes each) and have 10 spares all with nice avioncs and a new engine for the price of just one of these drones.

Len
 
Len Lanetti said:
I just did a little math...using 172s you could probably launch 4 squadrons (at 30 planes each) and have 10 spares all with nice avioncs and a new engine for the price of just one of these drones.

Len
Click to expand...

Well, that wouldn't be nearly as cool and hi-techy, now would it? Not to mention, how could you get a TFR for a Skyhawk?

I wouldn't mind a job flying up and down the border, calling the cops when I see something wrong. Bet I would even be willing to do it for less than they pay the operators of those drones.
 
eh i dont know, i did a lot of flying in straight lines last summer looking at computer screens, and let me tell you, it gets boring after a while, the best part was getting the needle perfectly centered and the completing the turnaround exactly in line with the next run. Other than that it was boooooooring.
 
Len Lanetti said:
Penny Pinching...you are kidding right...
Click to expand...

Not entirely. Do you recall the threads on removing pilots from the plane to save airline costs and increase security? Take that one step further and you have Penny Pincher Pilotless Airlines. Plane crashes, the pilot just selects another plane from the queue and toodles off on another flight before the mushroom burns itself out.

Len Lanetti said:
jeez you can probably get a bunch of pilots that would fly the planes for free just to build hours....why you could put so many faded orange, green & brown Skyhawks in the air that it would blot out the sun at noon for 6.5 million dollars.
Click to expand...

Funny how they're so wrapped up in their save money at all costs routine that they don't even bother with the inexpensive solution that's practically already in place isn't it?
 
Len Lanetti said:
Penny Pinching...you are kidding right...look at the price tag on one of those things...$6.5 million dollars...do you know how many 500 hour commerical pilots flying Cessna 172's you can get for that....jeez you can probably get a bunch of pilots that would fly the planes for free just to build hours....why you could put so many faded orange, green & brown Skyhawks in the air that it would blot out the sun at noon for 6.5 million dollars.

Len
Click to expand...


(Swatting, as if hearing a fly...) Huh? Did you hear something? Did you say Boeing has a contract to sell piloted Cessnas?
 
I guess I don't get it. The MAIN reason for UAVs or armed UAVs is to avoid putting pilots in harms way. While there may be small arms being carried by illegals, I doubt seriously they carry SAMs. At 14 Mill, you could throw up a fleet of cessnas, pipers, or ultralights with a trained pilots and observers and still have money left over in the budget for the free congresscritter junket.
Except for training, I see no reason to use UAVs over the US.
 
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