When "Good Kill" premiered in May, the film offered moviegoers a glimpse into the life of an Air Force drone pilot. The movie received relatively positive feedback from critics, and The Washington Post reported that it helps civilians to better understand what sacrifice and service look like in modern combat.
The whole story
With such portrayals in popular culture on the rise, the U.S. Air Force released a statement on May 15 to dispel common misconceptions that the public has about remotely piloted aircrafts. The statement examined six primary myths:
- Remotely piloted aircrafts are less safe than manned aircrafts.
- Combatant commanders are not requesting RPA capability.
- Federal Aviation Administration requirements do not apply to RPAs.
- Only a pilot and sensor operator are required to complete an RPA mission.
- RPAs are only used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
- An RPA mission is like a video game.
According to the Air Force, every RPA mission involves a pilot and crew who control the aircraft, and each combat air patrol is supported by nearly 200 people in various capacities. Contrary to popular belief, the safety rates are in fact comparable to those of a manned aircraft, and they are currently the top capability requested by combat commanders around the world.
Some Hollywood actors are also former servicemembers.
The Air Force reported that RPAs are currently being used to support combat search and rescue, strike coordination, closer air support and other tasks in addition to ISR and other mission sets.
For video game enthusiasts, the Air Force emphasized that controlling a remotely piloted aircraft is not a game. New pilots, many of whom have already undergone training for flying manned aircrafts, go through an intense, year-long training program to learn how to operate RPAs. It is not as simple as picking up a controller.
Playing an active role
The Air Force wants the public to know the real stories of the men and women who operate RPAs, a picture that is not always accurately portrayed in popular culture.
"We've been quiet about it for years, and there were good reasons for that, there were some direct concerns," Col. Jim Cluff told Military Times. "Now we've undertaken a very deliberate process to tell the story while at the same time making sure we are protecting our airmen. Our concern is just that we didn't talk a lot about what the community does and how they do that, and left it to others to figure it out."