ORIGINAL: Ed Cregger
Why? All one would need is a stabilizing system and a simple joystick with left and right control. No "pilot" is necessary.
If commercial airliners can be landed successfully via computer with no human input, and they can, certainly the autonomous flight control system can be upgraded to the point that no real professional pilot is needed for any part of the UAV's mission. This is just so much "good old boy" crap to use as an excuse to keep training real pilots at a time when they are becoming obsolete.
Ed Cregger
You might have to deviate from the flight plan every now and then. Maybe the General wants you to circle a jeep, so he can get a closer look at it.
Tom