RampFreeze
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2005
- Posts
- 62
To bring this back on target and info-only for the civilian-only guys who are curious:
One thing a lot of civilian guys may not realize is that the USAF max crew duty day for big airplanes (C-5, C-17, KC-10, KC-135, etc.) is 24 hours with one extra pilot. (waived up to 26 hours just after 9/11) There is no schedule, you usually sit on alert for a day or so (This is just like reserve with a 30 minute call-out - Rarely do we know our schedule in advance and get the opportunity to try and get your body on the right circadian rhythm for the mission) Just as you are getting ready to go to sleep in your tent (at say 11PM body clock time) you get alerted (you are now a "fresh" crew), and then routinely end up flying a 24 hour day into extremely dangerous environments (oh yes, probably air refueling on the way) In all my years of USAF/AMC flying, I've always thought that the most dangerous thing done is the routine use of 24 hour duty days. (Definitely the norm rather than the exception in the strat airlift world) Remember the statistic that the judgment/cognitive abilities of someone who's been awake for 24 hours is the same as having a Blood Alcohol Content of .10? I'd rather fly into a high threat zone after a good nights sleep (in my own room/not 4 to a room/15 to a tent, etc.), 8 hours into my duty day rather than fly a "milkrun" 24 hour day, day after day after day with no break. After 9/11, how many guys have flown a 7 day trip, only slept 4 times while you were on the road, came back home for 12 hours and then went back out to "wash, rinse, repeat"? (I can already see the hands going up...)
No, I'm not looking for a "poor little boy" or a pat on the back. (I'm not flying in the strat air world right now and have nothing to personally complain about. I see my kids daily and they even recognize me vs. not knowing who I was for a year+ after 9/11) The country is at war and it is our duty to suck it up and make the mission happen. Most crews will tell you to a person that they are honored to do it. (it's not nearly as dangerous as patrolling the Baghdad streets dodging IEDs - those guys are the true heroes) You've got to "surge" during wartime and we all realize that. (Interesting statisitc: WWII went from Dec 1941-Aug 1945=44 months; Sept 2001-Aug 2005=47 months)
Just throwing this nugget out there as a data point for reference next time you are crying about the concessions in your latest contract...
One thing a lot of civilian guys may not realize is that the USAF max crew duty day for big airplanes (C-5, C-17, KC-10, KC-135, etc.) is 24 hours with one extra pilot. (waived up to 26 hours just after 9/11) There is no schedule, you usually sit on alert for a day or so (This is just like reserve with a 30 minute call-out - Rarely do we know our schedule in advance and get the opportunity to try and get your body on the right circadian rhythm for the mission) Just as you are getting ready to go to sleep in your tent (at say 11PM body clock time) you get alerted (you are now a "fresh" crew), and then routinely end up flying a 24 hour day into extremely dangerous environments (oh yes, probably air refueling on the way) In all my years of USAF/AMC flying, I've always thought that the most dangerous thing done is the routine use of 24 hour duty days. (Definitely the norm rather than the exception in the strat airlift world) Remember the statistic that the judgment/cognitive abilities of someone who's been awake for 24 hours is the same as having a Blood Alcohol Content of .10? I'd rather fly into a high threat zone after a good nights sleep (in my own room/not 4 to a room/15 to a tent, etc.), 8 hours into my duty day rather than fly a "milkrun" 24 hour day, day after day after day with no break. After 9/11, how many guys have flown a 7 day trip, only slept 4 times while you were on the road, came back home for 12 hours and then went back out to "wash, rinse, repeat"? (I can already see the hands going up...)
No, I'm not looking for a "poor little boy" or a pat on the back. (I'm not flying in the strat air world right now and have nothing to personally complain about. I see my kids daily and they even recognize me vs. not knowing who I was for a year+ after 9/11) The country is at war and it is our duty to suck it up and make the mission happen. Most crews will tell you to a person that they are honored to do it. (it's not nearly as dangerous as patrolling the Baghdad streets dodging IEDs - those guys are the true heroes) You've got to "surge" during wartime and we all realize that. (Interesting statisitc: WWII went from Dec 1941-Aug 1945=44 months; Sept 2001-Aug 2005=47 months)
Just throwing this nugget out there as a data point for reference next time you are crying about the concessions in your latest contract...