I was speaking with a couple of Global Hawk pilots at Beale this
weekend and got some interesting information. The information was
presented to me as public (non-classified). The first thing that
surprised me is that contrary to whatI had heard previously the
aircraft has no traffic avoidance systems at all. There is a bay for a
civilian TCAS unit but as of yet none have been installed. The pilot
reported that certification of TCAS was interrupted because TCAS
resolutions require 30 degree of bank and the GH is limited to 15.
However, he also said that they do not do any training below class A
airspace in the U.S. The TFR is for the 5 minutes it takes for the
climb out. The reason the TFRs stay in affect so long is because the
GH is a single engine aircraft it could possibly return to base if it
lost the engine and that the FAA required the TFR to deal with that
possibility. However, I've found that I have never been denied access
through the TFR by ATC.
The pilot also said that they are all very confused as to why the GH
is based out of an area of such high air traffic. He said he thought
the military was originally going to base them out of an island owned
by the Navy off the cost of LA where there is really no GA traffic.
He also said that although they can log their flight time for military
hours they mean nothing for airlines and that even though a GH
assignment is considered prestigious, pilots who think they'll end up
flying for the airlines avoid the project. At this moment they don't
have another plane for currency (the U-2 pilots have the T-38's to fly
for currency), but that they are hoping to get some T-6's brought in
so they can keep up their stick/rudder stills.
The GH is a very cool aircraft. GH's in theatre are based in UAE but
only the takeoff and landing pilots actually have to be in UAE. The
pilots who are flying the GH over Iraq at this moment are sitting,
drinking coffee, in California. They fly in 3 hour shifts. They are
limited to 3 hours mostly because there are so many pilots the 3 hours
is the only way for everyone to get time. However, they don't just get
up and walk off to go the bathroom. Oh, and yes, the plane is flown
mostly by mouse, not yoke.

-Robert