Table 1Transition record

drone pilottoair force pilot

A drone pilot already meets 36% of what the air force pilot role asks for. The move turns on 22 required skills not yet in the profile.

From drone pilot

36%

Overlap1

To air force pilot

15 Skills carried over

22 Required, not held

71.4 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 71.4

This move: 71.4 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the air force pilot role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the drone pilot profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 15 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A air force pilot role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a drone pilot background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held perform take off and landing working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held perform flight manoeuvres working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held civil aviation regulations services
already held ensure compliance with civil aviation regulations assisting and caring
already held comply with air traffic control operations assisting and caring
already held operate radio navigation instruments working with machinery and specialised equipment

All 15 carried skills, including the 13 the air force pilot role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 30 missing skills fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 assisting and caring 5 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held implement airside safety procedures required
required, not held apply air force procedures required
required, not held apply military aviation regulations required
required, not held ensure ongoing compliance with regulations required
required, not held undertake procedures to meet aircraft flight requirements required

optional, not held ensure compliance with types of weapons optional
optional, not held identify security threats optional
optional, not held patrol areas optional

02 services 5 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held air traffic control operations required
required, not held aircraft flight control systems required
required, not held military aviation required
required, not held air force operations required
required, not held visual flight rules required

optional, not held military code optional

03 working with machinery and specialised equipment 5 required

required, not held apply signalling control procedures required
required, not held operate two-way radio systems required
required, not held operate cockpit control panels required
required, not held operate radar equipment required
required, not held operate radio equipment required

04 information skills 2 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held collect real-time geolocation information required
required, not held read 3D displays required

optional, not held keep task records optional
optional, not held perform risk analysis optional

05 business, administration and law 2 required

required, not held air transport law required
required, not held common aviation safety regulations required

06 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required

required, not held execute flight plans required

3 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a air force pilot role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 15 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held adapt to changing situations skill
already held analyse weather forecast skill
already held aviation meteorology knowledge
already held civil aviation regulations knowledge
already held comply with air traffic control operations skill
already held ensure compliance with civil aviation regulations skill
already held operate radio navigation instruments skill
already held perform flight manoeuvres skill
already held perform routine flight operations checks skill
already held perform take off and landing skill
already held read maps skill
already held use different communication channels skill
already held use meteorological information skill
already held have spatial awareness skill
already held perform search and rescue missions skill

The 3 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 required

required, not held surveillance radars required

08 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required

required, not held geographic areas required

09 management skills 2 supplementary

optional, not held create a flight plan optional
optional, not held organise aircraft maintenance optional

8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held create a flight plan optional
optional, not held ensure compliance with types of weapons optional
optional, not held identify security threats optional
optional, not held keep task records optional
optional, not held military code optional
optional, not held organise aircraft maintenance optional
optional, not held patrol areas optional
optional, not held perform risk analysis optional

49 held skills the air force pilot role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role address aircraft mechanical issues skill
not needed by the target role agronomical production principles knowledge
not needed by the target role agronomy knowledge
not needed by the target role apply precision farming skill
not needed by the target role apply transportation management concepts skill
not needed by the target role audio editing software knowledge
not needed by the target role automation technology knowledge
not needed by the target role aviation standards and recommended practices knowledge
not needed by the target role carry out navigational calculations skill
not needed by the target role comply with checklists skill
not needed by the target role crop production principles knowledge
not needed by the target role data protection knowledge
not needed by the target role digital camera sensors knowledge
not needed by the target role edit digital moving images skill
not needed by the target role ensure aircraft compliance with regulation skill
not needed by the target role ensure public safety and security skill
not needed by the target role entrepreneurship knowledge
not needed by the target role extinguish fires skill
not needed by the target role guidance, navigation and control knowledge
not needed by the target role inspect offshore constructions skill
not needed by the target role inspect pipelines skill
not needed by the target role international waterways knowledge
not needed by the target role maintain robotic equipment skill
not needed by the target role maintain sensor equipment skill
not needed by the target role manage forest fires skill
not needed by the target role offshore constructions and facilities knowledge
not needed by the target role operate a camera skill
not needed by the target role operate control systems skill
not needed by the target role pneumatics knowledge
not needed by the target role prepare production prototypes skill
not needed by the target role protect personal data and privacy skill
not needed by the target role rail infrastructure knowledge
not needed by the target role read assembly drawings skill
not needed by the target role read engineering drawings skill
not needed by the target role read standard blueprints skill
not needed by the target role record test data skill
not needed by the target role respond to changing navigation circumstances skill
not needed by the target role robotic components knowledge
not needed by the target role roofing drones knowledge
not needed by the target role statistical analysis system software knowledge

9 further entries not listed here

10 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held air traffic control operations required
required, not held air transport law required
required, not held aircraft flight control systems required
required, not held common aviation safety regulations required
required, not held military aviation required
required, not held surveillance radars required
required, not held air force operations required
required, not held geographic areas required
required, not held visual flight rules required
optional, not held military code optional

Index

Other moves recorded from drone pilot

Full index of moves from drone pilot

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.