MQ-9 Reaper Drone lands at Shaw Air Force Base, in-person interaction is a first for its operators

SUMTER, SC (WOLO) — Colonel Trevor “Phantom” Merrell, Commander of Shaw’s 25th Attack Group, says the MQ-9 Reaper Drone is able to complete missions around the world — mostly across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific Theater.

But the drone’s launch from California’s March Air Reserve Base and its landing at Shaw this morning is unique — because pilots are rarely near the aircraft in person.

“This is a proof of concept for us, testing this capability. Testing the agility that we hope to get out of it. So, training for the crews, but it’s also morale for us. Because we have several hundred airmen flying those missions throughout the world, that rarely get to see the aircraft that they fly on a daily basis,” says Merrell.

In fact, Captain Ryan Beach who pilots drones on a daily basis, says it may be years before they physically lay eyes on a drone they’ve controlled.

Beach says the MQ-9 does have attack capabilities, but its primary goal is to collect information.

“It’s important for people to understand that every action this plane takes is human driven. Every turn, every climb, every descent, every air speed change, there’s a human on the other side with the controls the same way a pilot has controls. There’s a stick, there’s a throttle. Obviously we get that information visually through tv screens. It’s a lot of data we take in visually, but us as pilots and sensor operators are 100% in control of the plane at all times,” Beach says.

Pilots and sensor operators work eight to nine hour shifts — with the drone able to fly for up to 21 hours at a time without landing.

Senior Airman Zachery Cherry works as a sensor operator for the drones.

“It’s pretty awesome to be flying 25,000 feet in the air, and being able to look at something as close as how we’re standing right now. It’s pretty awesome technology,” he says.

Cherry controls the multiple cameras and infrared camera on the drone.

“Normally I’m just looking through that camera… but now, to be able to stand out here and watch it take off and land, is pretty cool to see. I’m normally on the other end of it, so this is definitely a really cool opportunity,” Cherry says.

The Airmen say a multi-million dollar facility just for the drone pilots and camera operators is complete. Shaw AFB plans to have a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new building on April 9th.