For those with a love of aviation and drones and an accompanying drive to work within these areas for a living, there are ever-increasing numbers of careers available for a drone pilot in today’s job market. The main populace of these jobs rests within three, main sectors but is growing exponentially everywhere else as well. Between the military, goods delivery services, and the photography and art industry, there are many careers available for a drone pilot today. Want to learn more about some of these exciting positions? Here’s what we know.
Military
Militarily, the use of drones has seen more prevalence than perhaps anywhere else so far. This is because of the niche suitability offered by these particular, unmanned aircraft in a variety of military goals. One piloting for the military will likely find themselves involved with one or even several of the following operations areas: deliveries, reconnaissance, and aerial warfare.
Delivery Pilot
Delivery is still very much in the testing phase in many areas of drone use. Regardless, on the test end as well as the so-far functional end of delivery flying, drone pilots are very much needed. Any pilot here will thus forever be considered one of those pioneers in this important era. Militarily, goods being delivered via this method are typically small but often involve communications equipment, rations, coded directives, and even the drone itself.
Recon Pilot
Reconnaissance is truly one of the most important areas of military knowledge – knowing where everything is in real-time. One of the newest and most viable ways to do this in an up-close venue such as a battle zone, is via drone recon. With an actual, shift-working team of pilots keeping some drones airborne 24-hours a day, recon pilots are greatly needed for keeping eyes on all things of military interest, according to the New York Times.
Aerial Assault Pilots
Perhaps the most awe-inspiring pilot occupation within the military is that of the aerial assault pilot. As drones have evolved in so many ways, becoming weaponized has been one of these considerable areas of growth. Controlling such weaponized, mini-assault vehicles is the drone pilot as well as their accompanying weapons crew. Depending on personal preference and qualifications, one may take their drone experience to the chair of either position on such important flights.
Aerial Photography and Art
On the opposite end of function from the military, drones have seen a tremendous increase in new uses in areas of art, video, photography, and entertainment. Drone pilot positions can thus be found in all sorts of venues: marriage photography, commercial and movie videography, hobby pursuits, sporting event coverage, real estate marketing, and much more. For those wanting to pilot in these areas, positions can commonly be found via typical job-search methods. In addition, many pilots also find freelance, independent work to be quite practical and lucrative.
Privatized Delivery
As aforementioned, delivery is a thus-far experimental field in the world of dronedom. Despite this though, the news is constantly filled with pieces on big companies getting involved with the use of drones in delivery. Amazon, among others, has theorized a future of widespread drone-use in delivery services globally and are working to achieve such theories actively, according to CNBC. Drone pilots wanting to become a part of this pioneering force can certainly do so in many venues and for some very big companies as well.
Related Resource: 5 Careers in Homeland Security Policy and Law
The spirit of flight and the possibilities therein have titillated the minds of humans for untold time. Drones, the newest innovation here are certain to be a fixture of humanity for many years to come. As a result, for those concerned with finding some of the careers available for a drone pilot, they will be sure to find many, exciting options for some time to come.
