WTH's up with AF drugging their pilots?

[WileE]

It may just be my army aviator background, but some of the info coming out in that Canadian fratricide trial has me dumbfounded. I had no idea that the Air Force was so far away from the safety standards the Army uses.

Exceeding 10 flight hours on a regular basis? Allowing (if not downright encouraging) pilots to use amphetamines while on flight status? Actually issuing them the drugs to use? This kind of stuff is unheard of on the army side. Flight hour restrictions are carved in stone and can only be extended by O-5 or higher command authority. Any use of amphetamines will get you grounded (if you take an allergy pill that even hints at stimulants you are out of luck).

Is it just me that is shocked by this? Is their idea of safety really so far removed from what I'm used to? Or is this just another case of the media screwing up the facts on a story yet again?

 

[T1bubba]

This has been well covered in this and several other threads...

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12633&highlight=go+pills

10 flight hours? Half my missions were longer than that!

 

[vschip]

No offence T1, but 10 hours strapped into an ejection seat in a fighter has got to be a hell of a lot harder than 12 hours in an E-6. My longest flight in a S-3 was a 7.4, and after trapping, my legs cramped up as I waddled off the flight deck. That was a basic tanking/ESM mission, no clue how these guys do it while actually dropping bombs. As for pep pills, WillE, the navy's idea of pep pills was to chug coffee before the flight, then bring a good supply of piddle packs on the flight!

 

[HoursHore]

E-6 missions

Hey,
12 hours of reading Club International, listening to CDs and talking about other people can be very stressfull. So stessfull that I'd often have to go back to one of the eight racks and sleep half the mission while still logging AC time.
Wheels up, heels up.

 

[T1bubba]

VS,

No offense taken, and I'd agree that 12 hours in a fighter/helo/bomber is much more stressful than an E-6.

My point was simply that the AF has a completely different mindset when it comes to mission lengths. The bomber guys fly 24 hours+ without a third pilot (the only time I did that we had 2 extra pilots on board). Brooks AFB physiologists have been researching fatigued flying for years, and they know more than anyone about how to deal with it.


HH,

You forgot to mention that when you wake up it's to the smell of the reels cooking up some jambalaya or salsa chicken...mmmmmm. Few things are more important to the success of a deployment than the reels' cooking ability!

T1

 

[CCDiscoB]

Uncle!!

My point was simply that the AF has a completely different mindset when it comes to mission lengths.

You're joking, right? Is this another "sleep when your dead," Naval reference?

That did it, I'm staying in! My goal is to become a General and put an end to all this JOINT BS. My first goal would be to remove all Naval influence from the UPT squadrons. My second goal will be to find all of T-1Bubba's students and have them go through a through re-indoctrination.

 

[Skyrunner]

SOP

Hey WileE,

I don't think AF leaders or pilots are out there trying to be cowboys. It's just the nature of the beast. Due to base locations and overflight clearances, there is no way to really avoid long flights.

As for the go-pills, I'm not going to touch that one. I guess it beats sticking a pencil in your leg or rubbing Flexall on your you know where to stay awake.

Take care and fly safe,

SR

 

[KiloBase]

GO-NOGO pills

I have heard rumors that some people based on their jobs that might be less than conventional.. if you get my drift.. have been issued the same type of stuff. Could be rumors and I wouldn't want to spread untruths but remember some units do things differently.

I wasn't surprised by those things but I was surprised at the blame put on the use of such methods.

Just my 2¢

 

[T1bubba]

Sorry CC, but the AF wins the "we can fly longer than you can" contest every time. I mean, why bother with bases in Europe when you can bomb Kosovo from Missouri?

I'm trying to picture how you would re-indoctrinate my students... maybe something like chanting over and over "I will call the SOF first"? Or maybe a few hundred hours of light 11-whatever reading?

 

[CCDiscoB]

Touche

T-1bubba,

Excellent comeback. I got a good laugh out of that one.

You guys must get a kick out of the AF. It's not that bad outside AETC.