Eyes in the sky

All Hands, March, 2005 by Todd Frantom

It's 1991 and Operation Desert Storm is in full swing near Kuwait City. A choking smoke fills the air the result of oil refinery fires intentionally set by Iraqi soldiers. Machine gun fire can be heard in all directions, along with constant explosions from mortars. War is everywhere, but something is different--there's a buzzing in the air.

While holding down defenses on Faylaka Island off the coast near Kuwait City, a group of 27 Iraqis experienced the new buzz first-hand. Flying at a low altitude just over the soldiers' heads, they recognized there could soon be 2,000 pounds of bombs landing at their feet from the battleship USS Wisconsin (BB 63) The Iraqis made the right choice, and using handkerchiefs, shirts and sheets, they signaled their desire to surrender--to an unmanned vehicle with a 16-foot wide wingspan.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in mid-America, a teenage boy's curiosity for these buzz makers came alive

"While working at the local airport in my hometown of Cincinnati, I became interested in radio-control aircraft," said Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class Timothy Davis. "I bought my first plane, used, at a local hobby shop. The plane was called an Eaglet about 60 inches wide, fully assembled. I was hooked immediately, just watching the aircraft fly, knowing I had control. Then bringing it home with a safe landing was awesome; he added.

Little did Davis know that his new-found addiction would become his career.

Three years later, these two worlds collided when Davis was stationed at Fleet Composite Squadron (VC) 6 Detachment Patuxent River--the same command whose aircraft the Iraqis surrendered to during Desert Storm.

"When I was a teenager, I never dreamed that I would grow up and be able to work my love of radio flyers into a job, not to mention be a pilot of a multi-million dollar aircraft that flies combat missions. It's just ironic that while I was just starting with remote control aircraft they were actually playing a vital role in wars around the world," said Davis.

Like the small-scale Eaglet he started with prior to his Navy career. Davis now remotely pilots a Pioneer unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the first of its kind for the Navy. Pioneer provides intelligence imagery for tactical commanders on Land and at sea. Since its inception in the 1980s, Pioneer has flown more than 23,000 hours in direct support of Navy operational commanders. Pioneer has a low radar cross section and a small infrared signature that minimizes its detection.

According to Davis, firing Pioneer isn't much different from controlling his old flyers, according to Davis. "The plane we use, called the MIG, is about six feet across, only half the size of Pioneer," said Davis. "I think all of us who pilot Pioneer have developed a love for flying in one form or another. We are the only enlisted personnel in the Navy who get to call ourselves pilots. I have a strong pride in what I do, especially when I go TAD and land one of those suckers on board a ship during a real mission, which I had the pleasure of doing a couple of years ago."

The enlisted pilots of Webster Field, Patuxent River, Md., seem to have established a brotherhood among themselves, taking time after work and on weekends to further pursue their love of flying.

"We'll get permission from the Webster Field flight control for air space at certain times so that we can fly our personal planes," said AMS2 Harry Canter, also a pilot for VC-6. "Although it seems to be play time, the truth is that we are actually getting valuable practice for actual missions."

Piloting the Pioneer UAV is only a small part in the overall operation of this remote-control aircraft. VC-6 is a squadron like any other in the Navy. They test and evaluate the Pioneer system along with other UAVs for integration into Navy and Marine units. Although the jobs are unique for the air community, the UAVs are handled just like any full-scale aircraft before and after each flight.

AMS2 Christopher Watters recently joined the squadron and found the small aircraft challenging.

"I came from a squadron where I worked on the P-3 Orion, which is a large aircraft. Working on the Pioneer is totally different; I feel like an airman again," said Waiters. "I joined the Navy for diversity in my job, and coming here has certainly afforded me that. Regardless of the small size of our aircraft, nothing is overlooked in the vehicle's operation."

For testing and evaluation of the Pioneer at Webster Field, shore-based procedures are used. The Pioneer system ran also be deployed aboard LPD-class naval vessels.

A normal flight day for the Pioneer starts at 5:30 a.m. with a mission brief and flight plan. Pilots and operations personnel must calculate normal and emergency air vehicle capabilities with existing condition and mission requirements.

"Pioneer can be drastically affected by weather, so careful attention is taken in the planning for flights," said Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class (AW) Robert Ross "If it's raining, snowing or even drizzling, we aren't flying."