From Yahoo news

Beale Air Force bass , California

They've become a fixture over the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan, a new breed of aircraft operated with remote control sitting in a virtual cockpit many miles away.

But the Air Forces Golden Hawk has never flown on a mission over the United States.
That is set to change Monday, when the first Global Hawk is scheduled to land at Beale Air Force base in nothern California.

"This landmark flight has historic implications since it is the first time a Global Hawk has not only flown from Beale, but anywhere in the United States on
an officail combat mission" base spokesman Capt. Michael Andrews said in a statement.

Beale-based pilots are flying the drones daily on combat missions over the Middle East, Anderws said. The planes are operated by four persons crews from virtual cockpits the size of shipping containers.

The planes are designed to fly at high altittudes for 40 hour missions covering as much as 10,000 miles, mostly providing aerial surveillance . The aircraft which can cost as much as 80 million each, can reach an altittude of 65,000 feeet and send back high resolution images.

The Hawks are among a growing fleet of unmanned aircraft that also includes the missle carrying Predators and five pound raves that are small enough to be carried in their backpacks.