Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Airline pilots are worried about their jobs. So some are learning to fly drones

Airline pilots are worried about their jobs. So some are learning to fly drones

With mass layoffs at US air carriers expected this fall, airline pilots like Michelle Bishop are anticipating the unwelcome reality that pilots like herself may soon be left without stable work.
"I'm just trying to fly as much as I can, while I can, because I love it," Bishop, who has worked as an airline pilot for more than 20 years, told CNN Business. In her recent downtime, Bishop said she spent hours scrolling through LinkedIn listings and other job sites searching for a line of work that wouldn't force her to spend all day at a desk.

One opportunity piqued her interest: Piloting drones.

Aquiline Drones, a Connecticut-based startup, wants to create a gig economy for drone operators, pledging to roll out a simple smartphone app about two months from now that allows anyone with a license to take on short-term jobs, from capturing aerial footage at a wedding to snapping pictures of bridges and roadways for a public works department.

Essentially, the startup wants to be like Uber or Lyft. And its founder, Barry Alexander, envisions thousands of airline pilots becoming its certified drone operators.

Currently, certified drone operators are few and far between: There's less than 200,000 in the United States. Since 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration has required drone operators to obtain certification.

Aquiline's goal is to help license new drone operators by the thousands — and most of them, said Alexander, will be former airline pilots.

The company's licensing program, called "Flight to the Future," is slated to begin virtual classes on September 1. Anyone can sign up for the six-to-eight week training program for $1,000, and Aquiline developed a separate $800 course tailored for pilots who already understand the ins-and-outs of aviation terminology, regulations and weather monitoring.

As part of the program, Aquiline will walk students through the Federal Aviation Administration's licensing process and even set licensed students up with their own LLC, the option to finance a $4,000 drone and insurance at an $1,500 annual rate directly through Aquiline.

The test for drone pilot certification isn't easy, but there are online training programs that are less expensive than Aquiline's offer. Alexander also said all Aquiline drone pilots must go through the company's "Flight to the Future" program and use the Aquiline-provided drone, which is semi-autonomous, to ensure it works with the company's back-end software systems.

Already, Alexander said, more than 1,500 members of the general public have signed up, along with 2,000 pilots, including Bishop.

"I actually know zero about drones," Bishop told CNN Business. "But if I was going to have to stop flying, I wanted the opportunity to learn something new." Being able to set her own schedule is also an appealing prospect, she said.

If Aquiline succeeds, newly licensed drone pilots like Bishop will form a core network of contractors that will log onto Aquiline's drone-for-hire app each day and pick a gig in their area. The jobs are expected to pay a minimum of $300 — at a $150 per hour rate, Alexander said.

The business model comes straight from ridesharing business' playbook, and it's a model that's hailed by gig economy proponents as one that offers workers flexible hours and a "be your own boss" ethos. But it's also a model that comes with some drawbacks for workers: Independent contractors are not guaranteed affordable health insurance, paid time off, or any of the other benefits offered to full-time workers.

And some gig workers report working long hours without making a livable income.

The question remains if there will be robust demand for a drone-for-hire service.

Drones have exploded in popularity in recent years, and they've gone from being marketed as a fun tech gadget to serving real-world purposes, such as policing, aiding disaster relief missions, or monitoring construction progress.

But they aren't a very common sight. The government and many US citizens are wary of the potential for drones to be used for spying and that they could fly into larger aircraft. A 2017 Pew Research study found that more than half of Americans felt that drones should not be allowed to operate near people's homes. And drones — commercial and recreational — remain tightly regulated and monitored by the FAA.

Alexander said he's aware of the perception, and that's something he hopes to change as drone businesses grow. He hopes that "through public education and public involvement, we one day gain the [public's] trust, support and endorsement so that we could get drones to live alongside humans."

He said that Aquiline has also conducted polls of the general public and of corporations that show there is strong interest in a drone-for-hire service.

Bishop, the pilot who plans to take Aquiline "Flight to the Future" licensing course, said she isn't pinning all of her hopes on the program. She's also interested in getting a real estate license and remains open to other options. But she is optimistic about Aquiline.

"My idea is to plan for the worst and hope for the best," she said. "Even if everything goes back to the way it was five months ago, [the drone certification program] is still not a lost investment, because it's still something interesting that I can do and still fly full time."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×