It's a lot to offer, but it may be necessary. The USAF is increasingly relying on drones as part of its operations, and its training has suffered in recent years due to stretched resources. While the Air Force is doubling the number of pilots it produces between its 2015 and 2017 fiscal years, it's not going to take any chances with losing those crews that are already here. That's especially true when airlines are aggressively luring pilots with the promises of greater pay. It's too soon to say if larger bonuses will work, but the odds are that there will be at least some drone operators who'll stay on when they would have otherwise bowed out.