Enlisted airmen have another shot at flying RPAs

Enlisted airmen have until Nov. 15 to apply for the chance to fly remotely-piloted aircraft.

The Air Force Personnel Center on Friday said that the application window for the next enlisted RPA selection board had opened. To be eligible, airmen must be a staff sergeant through senior master sergeant in any career field, with at least six years of retainability from the time they would graduate from the course, or be able to obtain six years of retainability. Hopeful applicants also must not be receiving a critical skills retention bonus.

Today, enlisted RPA pilots are only allowed to fly the unarmed RQ-4 Global Hawk reconnaissance drone, but the Air Force is leaving the door open to allowing enlisted airmen to fly armed RPAs in the future.

The first class of three enlisted RPA pilots graduated from undergraduate RPA training at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in Texas last month. This month, they are headed to Beale Air Force Base in California to continue learning and get qualified to fly the Global Hawk.

Aspiring RPA pilots must complete and submit an application package, including an Air Force initial flying class II physical examination and a pilot qualification test, AFPC said.

The selection board will convene in January 2018 and consider candidates' entire military personnel record and their scores on the pilot candidate selection method test. Enlisted airmen who have piloted aircraft off-duty can apply the experience from those flying hours toward their PCSM, the same opportunity afforded to officer pilot candidates.

"The selection board process mirrors that of the undergraduate flying training program as closely as possible," Senior Master Sgt. Colin Fleck, career enlisted aviator assignments manager, said in the release. "The board uses the whole person concept to evaluate candidates."

Airmen chosen by this board will train in either fiscal 2018 or fiscal 2019.

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