Army pilots: flying drones tougher than it looks.

• Author: Beidel, Eric
• Position: UNMANNED AIRCRAFT

Flying unmanned aircraft over war zones may seem to outsiders like playing a tricked-out video game.

But these operations can be, indeed, dangerous, aviators contend. Bad weather, makeshift runways and close calls with friendly aircraft are among the hazards that put missions at risk.

The Army over the past decade has deployed more than 1,000 unmanned surveillance aircraft, which have logged more than 1 million combat hours. Operators who flew unmanned air systems over war zones said the learning curve for mastering the use of drones was steep. It takes years of combat experience to achieve proficiency.

"One of the first brigades that we worked for didn't really seem to know how to use it [the aircraft], so we were pretty much just burning holes in the sky," said Sgt. 1st Class Kelly C. Boehning, who was named unmanned aerial systems (UAS) "soldier of the year" at the Army Aviation Association of America's symposium in December.

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Enemy fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan adapt to army tactics, and time their attacks based on U.S. flying schedules, said Staff Sgt. Frank C. Petersen, a UAS instructor at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. "I can't say that they figured out what our weather limitations were, but they definitely could tell when we were or weren't flying," he said.

Many weather events can keep drones on the ground--high winds, lightning, freezing temperatures. "When there was bad weather, it seemed like there was always an increase in rocket fire or mortar attacks," Boehning said. "I think they knew when we weren't flying. I think it's pretty obvious."

Boehning described a typical scenario. "Basically you look at a field for hours and hours and hours and hours, waiting for something to happen," he explained. "It's not very exciting, but when you finally see a flash off in the distance, you zoom in and see some guys shooting mortars. You immediately yell out the grid [location], send it to the fires people and then you wait. Then you see the artillery come down and destroy the mortar team. It's like Monday Night Football. It's the big-screen TV and everybody jumps up and kicks their chairs over. You know you probably saved somebody's life."

Unlike Air Force operators who fly drones in theater from locations in the United States, the Army deploys UAS pilots overseas with the ground troops they support. Whether keeping watch over a convoy or raid, there is an added incentive for operators to bring their comrades back "into the...