Droneflyger - Godt betalt Over There - Curt Lewis

Job Hunting? Drone Pilots Are Getting $125,000 Bonuses

"We need these professionals to stay with us."

If you're a US Air Force drone pilot, and your return to civilian life is fast approaching, the service has an offer that may be too good to pass up. Instead of going home, the Air Force will give you a bonus of $125,000, in exchange for an agreement to serve for five more years, according to Air Force Times.

If this sounds familiar, it's because it is. In July, the Air Force first proposed retention bonuses of $15,000 a year for pilots making new commitments of five or nine years to the service, for a total of $75,000 or $135,000, respectively. But according to Air Force spokeswoman Rose Richeson, that was just "a projection," and the newer, higher figure is the one that will be implemented.

The Air Force said in a press release Tuesday that those qualified to operate remotely piloted aircraft - known as 18X RPA pilots - are eligible for the bonus on the basis of $25,000 a year, for five years. In order to qualify, pilots must already have six years of aviation service under their belts, after the completion of undergraduate RPA training.

Officers must also have attained the rank of active duty lieutenant colonel or below, and must already be receiving incentive pay for RPA aviation. Finally, the five-year bonus period cannot overlap with the completion of 25 years of active duty service.