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Ground Pilot Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Rotor Blade, LLC

Pilot

Georgetown, SC

Aerial Saw Pilot Position Overview Our company is seeking highly skilled and experienced MD500 ... Collaborate effectively with ground crews to ensure seamless project execution. Required ...

Rotor Blade, LLC

Pilot

Georgetown, SC

Aerial Saw Pilot Position Overview Our company is seeking highly skilled and experienced MD500 ... Collaborate effectively with ground crews to ensure seamless project execution. Required ...

Duke Energy

Pilot or Construction Pilot

Charlotte, NC · On-site

The Utility Aviation teamisseeking anexperiencedand motivatedUtility Pilot to join our team.Utility ... or ground handling wheels. * Duty days of 10 hours are common and frequent travel Involving ...

Joby Aviation

Flight Research Remote Pilot

Yuma, AZ · Remote

$91.10K - $125.30K/yr

Act as the remote pilot in command for various R&D aircraft platforms * Conduct preflight planning ... Aircraft, ground station, and/or subsystem design and build Additional Information Compensation at ...

Joby Aviation Inc.

Flight Research Remote Pilot

Yuma, AZ · Remote

$91.10K - $125.30K/yr

Act as the remote pilot in command for various R&D aircraft platforms * Conduct preflight planning ... Aircraft, ground station, and/or subsystem design and build Additional Information Compensation at ...

Joby Aviation

Flight Research Remote Pilot

Yuma, AZ · Remote

$91.10K - $125.30K/yr

Act as the remote pilot in command for various R&D aircraft platforms * Conduct preflight planning ... A&P or similar experience * Aircraft, ground station, and/or subsystem design and build ...

Joby Aviation

Flight Research Remote Pilot

Yuma, AZ · Remote

$91.10K - $125.30K/yr

Act as the remote pilot in command for various R&D aircraft platforms * Conduct preflight planning ... A&P or similar experience * Aircraft, ground station, and/or subsystem design and build ...

Garmin International, Inc.

Flight Test Pilot

Salem, OR · On-site

Drafts ground/flight test plans for complex test programs including programs with tests not ... Commercial Pilot Certificate * 2nd Class FAA Medical Certificate * Minimum 1,500 hours total flight ...

Joby Aviation

$91.10K - $125.30K/yr

Act as the remote pilot in command for various R&D aircraft platforms * Conduct preflight planning ... Aircraft, ground station, and/or subsystem design and build Additional Information Compensation at ...

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Ground Pilot information

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$49.5K

$130.9K

$201K

How much do ground pilot jobs pay per year?

As of May 28, 2026, the average yearly pay for ground pilot in the United States is $130,916.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $100,000.00 and $155,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Ground Pilot job?

A Ground Pilot is responsible for remotely operating unmanned vehicles, such as drones or autonomous ground vehicles, for various applications like logistics, surveillance, or inspections. They monitor vehicle performance, navigate routes, and ensure safe operations according to protocols. Ground Pilots often work in industries such as defense, transportation, and infrastructure, requiring technical skills and situational awareness.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Ground Pilot position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Ground Pilot, you need a solid understanding of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), drone operations, and aviation safety protocols, typically backed by relevant certifications such as the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Familiarity with remote control systems, telemetry software, ground control stations, and mapping or inspection tools is essential. Strong communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to problem-solve quickly are vital soft skills for the role. These competencies ensure safe, efficient, and compliant operation of drone missions while coordinating effectively with team members and airspace authorities.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a Ground Pilot?

As a Ground Pilot, your day-to-day duties often include preparing and inspecting drones before flight, operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) remotely during missions, and ensuring all activities comply with safety and regulatory requirements. You’ll also be responsible for monitoring flight paths, troubleshooting technical issues, and maintaining accurate records of each flight. Collaboration with project managers, data analysts, or field crews is common for coordinating logistics and delivering collected data. The work environment may involve both outdoor fieldwork and office-based planning, offering a dynamic mix of hands-on and strategic tasks.
More about Ground Pilot jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Ground Pilot jobs? The most popular types of Ground Pilot jobs are:
What states have the most Ground Pilot jobs? States with the most job openings for Ground Pilot jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Ground Pilot jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Ground Pilot jobs are:
Ground Pilot jobs near you
Infographic showing various Ground Pilot job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% Internship, 81% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 8% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $130,916 per year, or $62.9 per hour.
Mission Operations Specialist (Pilot)

Mission Operations Specialist (Pilot)

Odys Aviation

Long Beach, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 14 days ago

Job description

About Odys
Our mission at Odys is simple - we build safe, sustainable aircraft to cut travel time in half on the world's busiest corridors. Our flagship aircraft Alta enables travelers to skip the big-airport hassle by using city helipads and local airports to connect cities less than 1,000 miles apart (approx 40% of flights). And on average cut CO2 by 76% on tens of billions of flight miles globally.
To get there, we start with our UAV called Laila for commercial logistics, medical transport, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and defense missions. We're deploying aircraft with launch partners (Fiji Airways, Honeywell, Aramex, US Navy) beginning in 2026 and already have firm orders for aircraft under contract.
We're a team of expert engineers from deep tech and aerospace that focus on fast iterations loops (completed transition flight faster than our peers) combined with mastery of the aircraft certification process. Previously, our team developed custom drones, brought multiple automotive platforms into production, and electrified transportation vehicles that magnetically levitate, that roll, that fly. Together, we've been learning, developing, building, testing, and preparing for this challenge our entire lives.
We are seeking a highly skilled UAV Pilot to join our Flight Test & Operations team as a Mission Operations Specialist. In this role, you will serve as the primary Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC) for our developmental eVTOL Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms, piloting complex, novel aircraft from the Ground Control Station (GCS) during live test events.
Beyond the stick, you will own the operational and regulatory groundwork that makes each flight possible - integrating the GCS, drafting Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), securing flight authorizations, and partnering with engineering to translate test objectives into safe, executable mission profiles. You will leverage your flight test background and deep knowledge of EASA JARUS SORA and FAA Part 107/108 regulations to safely advance our aircraft from early R&D testing through to commercial certification.
Key Responsibilities
  • Serve as the primary pilot at the Ground Control Station (GCS) during live experimental flight tests, safely executing mission profiles on complex, novel eVTOL UAV architectures.
  • Translate engineering objectives into safe, executable flight test plans and pilot them dynamically within a rapid prototyping and testing environment.
  • Lead the development of Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and operational risk assessments. Secure flight authorizations and waivers by applying the EASA JARUS SORA framework alongside FAA Part 107 and FAA Part 108 (BVLOS) regulations.
  • Take ownership of the integration, testing, and troubleshooting of Ground Control Stations (GCS). Ensure seamless command, control, and telemetry flow between the GCS and aircraft via C2 links and high-bandwidth datalinks.
  • Manage the integration, functional testing, and operational deployment of various R&D flight test payloads (e.g., telemetry equipment, optical sensors, ballast systems).
  • Apply established UAS flight test methodologies to optimize test efficiency, safety, and operational procedures for our autonomous eVTOL UAV platforms.
  • Collaborate closely with R&D engineering teams to analyze post-flight telemetry, evaluate handling qualities, validate C2 link robustness, and refine vehicle design based on real-world flight execution.
Required Qualifications
  • Active FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate with a proven logbook demonstrating significant flight hours as an RPIC on complex UAS or developmental eVTOL UAV platforms.
  • Demonstrated hands-on experience piloting complex, multi-rotor, or thrust-vectored vertical lift UAVs in an R&D, experimental, or operational test environment.
  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aviation, or a related technical field.
  • Professional experience in experimental, R&D, or certification flight test programs - whether as a UAV operator/pilot, Flight Test Engineer, or both.
  • Practical experience executing the EASA JARUS SORA process, coupled with deep expertise in the FAA Part 107 and FAA Part 108 frameworks for complex or Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
  • Hands-on experience with Ground Control Station (GCS) integration, specifically focusing on:
    • Command and Control (C2) link architecture and performance validation.
    • Datalink integration (telemetry, video, and command streams).
    • Hardware and software payload integration.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Familiarity with additional FAA aircraft certification frameworks (e.g., Part 21, Part 23, Part 27).
  • Experience with flight test data analysis software (e.g., IADS, MATLAB, Python) to support rapid R&D iterations.
  • Human Factors Evaluation Experience - pilot interface design, workload assessment, GCS ergonomics, or HMI evaluation in flight test settings.

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