Air Force Can't Convince Anyone to Pilot Drones

It turns out, killing people by remote control is an unpopular profession. The Air Force is having trouble recruiting new drone pilots, a new Brookings Institute report reveals, and the ones it already has quit at three times the rate of its manned pilots. The problem: It's a boring job. When not carrying out assassinations, drones generally perform surveillance missions, which are both dull and require around-the-clock shifts, Popular Science reports.

The job is also stressful and time-consuming, meaning pilots rarely get a chance for other training or education, dampening their future career prospects. Another limiting factor: The Air Force currently requires pilots to be commissioned officers, meaning they need a bachelor's degree. The Army, by contrast, allows people with only high school diplomas to fly its drones. (Read more drones stories.)