Originally Posted by
Andy
Apples and oranges. You're talking single sortie vs multiple flights (with requisite terminal delays).
It's been a few years since I flew with the AF, but in order for us to fly 24 hrs, it required two pilot augmentees and a pretty big waiver; no lower than WG/CC, IIRC. And that's in the RC-135 on JCS tasked missions.
Your example does NOT apply to the average AF sortie, nor does it apply to the majority of AF pilots.
Having flown several 15+ hour sorties in the Rivet Joint, I can personally attest to how tough it is on the body. What's your longest sortie and how much of a basket case were you after you landed?
I can remember one KOFF-OERY sortie which was mx delayed for ~6 hrs. After we landed, our crew went to our hooch in Eskan. I woke up 26 hours after falling asleep & thought that the rest of the crew had woken up and gone back to sleep. Wrong! I was the first one who woke up. Yeah, that's real good for the body.
You're entitled to your experience.. but
Reality is (See AFI ..any heavy reg...) 2 pilots is 16 hour duty day and 3 pilots is 24 hours. No waiver required. Add 2 hours to each in a wartime situation, hello, Iraq now, Iraq a few years ago.
To answer your question about my longest sortie with 3 pilots, it was Dover to Somalia w/ 2 air-refuelings, 14.1 hours. OH, I also did GM to Pakistan, without a waiver, and without getting out of the seat (12.1). Longest day was Frankfurt to Saudi(8 hr), 6 hours on the ground awaiting fuel and then flying back to GM(another 8 hr). Also-(only 2 piots now). South Africa to Stuttgart,GM in one day, 3 legs, 18 hour day, 2 pilots, no waiver or WG/CC intervention or concern. Long day? Yes, it sucked but that was the job. You do it and move on.
Flying in a holding pattern is not Rocket Science. Just plug it in and sit back.
The guys today are doing alot more than I experienced so my suppot is totally with them. They are doing a great job.