Air Force Faces Shortage of Drone and Jet Pilots

Konstantin Kakaes was quoted in CNN about the increased demand for drone and jet pilots:

Citing an "insatiable demand" among combatant commanders for drones that can provide intelligence and surveillance, Carlisle said that drone operators were facing long hours and that in order to alleviate this issue the Air Force is seeking close to 300 additional drone pilots, making the true shortfall closer to 500.

Testifying before a subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carlisle said the "remote piloted aircraft enterprise is one that's in high demand, we are in high demand for fighters as well, we don't have enough of either.

"Experts think this trend will continue and don't envision a decline in drone popularity among field commanders.
"The demand side is basically unbounded—everybody wants more information," according to Konstantin Kakaes, a fellow at New America, a Washington-based think tank that has conducted extensive research into drones.

Kakaes attributed this difference, in part, to job satisfaction, telling CNN that army drone pilots were "more likely to be forward deployed which makes the job more interesting than commuting" to domestic air bases, thereby reducing the gap between drone and conventional personnel.