analyst Matthew Aid Google Earth captured this image of a Global Hawk (also above) on the tarmac at Beale. The drone is parked next to two slender-winged U2 aircraft, the 1950s-era piloted spy plane that Global Hawks were intended to replace. Mr Aid says despite the capability to fly non-stop missions around the globe, the $200 million Global Hawk still has many critics in the US Air Force: a so-called 'white-scarf brigade' of pilots who fear drones will put them out of a job. "They complain they can't get the same capability as the U2, which has the advantage of bigger, better cameras, so senior people in the USAF advocate bringing back the U2," he said. "The Global Hawk without a driver is nowhere near as sexy and has severe limitations." Facing major budget cuts, the US Air Force's top general considered mothballing some Global Hawks and cancelling future orders because the drone costs too much to fly. Related reading Drone journalism takes off As the media starts to deploy small toy-like drones to cover stories, what ethical and safety issues are arising? "The reality is that the Global Hawk system has proven not to be less expensive to operate than the U2," General Norton Schwartz said in January. Global Hawk got a temporary reprieve in July when Congress blocked plans to reduce the size of the fleet. The 'white-scarf brigade' may still prefer to get behind the controls of the venerable U2 but Mr Aid says America's diplomats have