RAF Pilot Tour lengths, etc [Archive]

FJ2ME

24th Jun 2015, 02:29

sorry to be an a$$hole, but shouldn't you have asked all this before you signed up...?

It doesn't help much, but service life is pretty unpredictable and dependent on world events. Any promises you make based on this advice can be completely changed by elements out of your control. Equally, it massively depends on which stream of flying you end up at..

But,... that said, typically, tours are 3 years long, 5 years sometimes in 2 Group. The training process is long and involves several short courses at different locations. Typically, fast jet stream:

1month Cranwell, groundschool
8 months Cranwell/Wittering/Wyton Elementary Flying Training
10 months Linton on Ouse Basic Fast Jet Training
18months Valley, Advanced Fast Jet training, and Weapons training

You could then be posted to rural Lincolnshire or Northern Scotland, or anywhere in between. Between the stated courses there are likely to be holding jobs at other locations of indeterminate length. This will invariably involve moving again.

Otherwise, there will be professional and officer development courses held from 1 week to 4 weeks at other locations like Shrivenham, Cranwell, Northolt, Henlow....etc.

How long on operations overseas....? Hah, no answer here my friend, ask 2 different pilots, get 2 different answers. Tornado F3, almost never deployed, apart from occasional Falklands det, vs Puma Force, almost never at home, 6 month tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with 6 months at home in between if you're lucky.

Scope for working long term overseas is now fairly small and limited to a very small number of specific trades/branches. That said there are opportunities. Embassy work much scaled back and most DA jobs are Wing Commmander or Group Captain level so expect them very far down the line if at all.

I don't mean to be negative, all this change and variation is actually one of the things that attracted me to the forces and makes life interesting. But it can soon become tedious if you are being given hell for it at home. If she's not up for all this upheaval and operating a singly for most of the year while you are away, then my friend you/her have some difficult decisions to make....Good luck.

3 bladed beast

24th Jun 2015, 03:18

Easy answer is to get rid of her

If she's moaning now, she'll only get worse over the coming years and you won't need that grief during pilot training...

And that's just the start

Pontius Navigator

24th Jun 2015, 06:34

Todger, you have the bones of it, right questions too late.

FJ2ME has the outline. He didn't mention that a necessary part of flying training is after hours work, social bonding with course mates, and spare social dosh spent on dining in nights, guest nights with the missus plus dress, hair do, and baby sitter.

She is married to you but you to a vocation.

When boss says Fly, the only questions are where and how long. You soon learn to have a go-bag packed.

andyy

24th Jun 2015, 07:50

And dont forget that in the increasingly joint world, you may have to go to sea for months on end, and its not unknown for ships to deploy in May, planning to return in July, but not actually getting back until October etc.

And then, later in your career, there's the staff course, with all the work that entails.

Or very long hours in a staff job in the MoD or PJHQ etc.

I was RN rather than RAF but wouldnt have missed it for the world. Fortunately my better half was OK with all that, but its not easy and if she doesnt like it now, it wont get any easier.

Wander00

24th Jun 2015, 07:56

The first Mrs W killed my flying career - not entirely her fault but due to insecurity because she did not see her dad until she was 5 because he was away in the war (founder member of the RAF Regt). So every time I got scheduled for detachment she (connived at by her Mother, rot her socks,) produced a sick note from her doctor saying she could not be left. My very serious advice is to get the future straight with your wife, or choose the RAF or her - seriously.

ShyTorque

24th Jun 2015, 08:18

We bought a house because there were no married quarters where I was posted to, supposedly for a three year tour. Due to "the exigencies of the service" (i.e. a co** up by the posting officer) I was posted to another base 70 miles away after my training course finished; another officer was likewise screwed around by being posted to my slot; because there were no MQs he had also just bought a house before I found out and despite being as p'd off as much as I was about it, wasn't prepared to swap postings.

In the aftermath, which included GW1 and being me moved between fixed wing and rotary wing tours twice, my wife lived in our new house for two and a half years while I was there for a total of about ten months. It caused huge pressure on all of us, especially as we had young kids involved. Because my wife had been put in a situation where she wasn't living on base, she got no support or contact from anyone within the service during my absence.

It got to the situation where I had to choose family or the RAF; I took my 38/16 option and left.

Good luck!

Biggus

24th Jun 2015, 09:50

It doesn't happen often, indeed it has probably never happened to most in the RAF, but....

One Saturday I was at home with the family, it was about 10pm, we were starting to think about turning in for the night. I was on no form of standby whatsoever, so was quite at liberty to have consumed alcohol, although as it happens I hadn't. I got a phone call from the duty flight commander asking if I was fit to fly, now. I said yes. He said get into work asap, and pack enough kit for a month. About 15 minutes later I left my wife and family, I was back 3 weeks later.

Yes, as I said that sort of situation is unusual/rare, but it can happen, and it's part of what life in a blue suit is all about. How would you wife cope with that situation? The RAF invests considerable amount of time, energy and resources in you, it can call in that investment at any time in your career with little or no prior warning.

It sounds as though you and your wife need to have a good talk about your joint future, and whether the RAF is really a suitable career for you, her, both of you together as a couple, any children you may have. Good luck....

Exascot

24th Jun 2015, 10:13

Todger, my dear chap, you have a serious problem here. I am afraid that if you are serious about your chosen career the Royal Air Force comes first. Tell her to go back to go back to mummy for the next 20 yrs.

Anyway, you still have many barriers to pass before you are operational. If you have a nagging wife in the background you will not make it. You are so lucky and considered suitable to make it onto the bottom rung, don't blow it.

Try to introduce your wife to wives of operational pilots. Let them tell her the life she is facing and then make a joint decision.

Good luck :ok:

sharpend

24th Jun 2015, 11:19

Yup, with a wife like that now, you have to make a choice...wife or the RAF. She needs to be 100% on your side and prepared to be on her own for long periods.

Fox3WheresMyBanana

24th Jun 2015, 11:35

You need to get her to commit to a decision before the start of flying training, or the stress could distract and thus kill you.
Saw this with the married guy on my flying training. After nearly killing himself at Valley, they had to have a trial separation. Fortunately this worked. She agreed to shut up, he took her back, he lived and they are still married.
Saw it with a guy who married the widow of another FJ pilot. After a while, he took himself off FJ.

Ask her she would feel if you were woken up by a war callout at 5am one morning. It happens. "Where are you going?" "Don't know, I've been told to grab my desert kit". And the answer to her next six questions = "Don't know" x6, plus "Bye, Love. Got to go". I've had that; it tests any relationship. Ask how she would feel when she gets a call from some phone in the middle of the desert, for you to tell her that you have to go direct from the war zone for special duties on the West Coast of the USA, and then direct to the Falklands for QRA - mate of mine had to make that call.

Exascot

24th Jun 2015, 11:57

Fox3WheresMyBanana Coming off FJ unless becoming a scribbly couldn't make much difference surely. I was constantly away in my 'big' FJ. :p

Biggus

24th Jun 2015, 12:02

As an aside, in my first 10 years in the RAF, including IOT, flying training, holding posts, OCUs and flying tours, I moved location 9 times, and that was not unusual - indeed it's probably less than most aircrew experience at the start of their career.

That doesn't include going away on any of the numerous courses!

Fox3WheresMyBanana

24th Jun 2015, 12:09

Exascot - Exactly - I didn't say it worked! We lost touch at that point.

The Oberon

24th Jun 2015, 12:17

As had been hinted at, I think that a large number of the domestic problems experienced by service personnel originate because they didn't fully explain to their partners about the nomadic lifestyle that they would probably experience.

I thought I was lucky as my first wife was the daughter of a V Crewchief who was always ranging somewhere. She soon forgot all about her father's wanderings and I soon had a life similar to Wander's, complete with MIL's influence.

downsizer

24th Jun 2015, 12:59

This has got to be a windup. I can't beleive that someone would go to all the trouble of passing CBAT, an FI, and the naus of OASC, let alone pass OASC and it's interview, and be unaware of these things!:confused:

Bob Viking

24th Jun 2015, 14:04

Perhaps I can offer a small glimmer of light. These days it is entirely possible to have a much more stable career than your predecessors enjoyed. Just look at the aircraft types and you will realise that they are mostly confined to one base nowadays. To give examples from the FJ world, I know guys who have been at Coningsby for several consecutive tours. I also know a guy who started on GR4s at Lossie in 2002/3 and is still there. He has even managed a promotion in that time. This is not always the case of course.

Deployments happen and you will usually have advance notice of them. Again though, this is not always the case.

One of the intended aims of the NEM is to keep people more stationary than previously so there is some hope.

As for overseas tours you will just have to join the queue like everyone else. You may get lucky, you may not.

My final point is just keep an open mind. When I was on IOT I had (what I believed was) a serious girlfriend. We lasted a year and then went our separate ways. I felt the pain that you are experiencing but if you really want to be a pilot then stay the course. If your lady really wants to be with you she will. Even leaving the RAF (in extremis) may not sway her.

As a further example we had a student here last year who VW'd from FJ training to be with his wife who was squinnying. He will now never be an RCAF pilot. The wife? She left him!

It is very easy for us to tell you to dump the missus but do whatever you need to do. Just remember you put in a lot of effort to follow your dream. If you do throw it away, make damn sure it is for the right reasons.

Don't let Cranditz get you down. It's not forever. It's also not much like the real RAF!

BV:cool:

Skeleton

24th Jun 2015, 14:22

Good advice BV, and good to hear from the horses mouth what the RAF is now like and it is exactly as i expected. When I was in Kinloss was the only real "flying club" station, i suspect there were others, but i know of more than one that arrived and left 4 ranks better off many moons later.

To the OP, these are questions you should have asked, regardless of your partner before you decided to join. The fact you have not leads me to believe you may be in for something of a shock when you are warned for an OOA and then it is pulled forward because the person you are taking over from is ill, that is one example, there are many more.

JointShiteFighter

24th Jun 2015, 19:47

Follow your dream, man. There are literally thousands of young people in the country who would have loved nothing more than to tear in to that envelope one morning to find the letter inviting them on to the IOT course to become a pilot, but it never happened.

Good luck.

Pontius Navigator

24th Jun 2015, 20:21

Skeleton, I didn't make the 4 ranks bit but;

We flew an OP sortie and were then slated to deploy to St Mawgan to continue the OP. Mrs PN was just about to pop PN 2.

Difficult choice.

BV is right [quote]These days it is entirely possible to have a much more stable career than your predecessors enjoyed. Just look at the aircraft types and you will realise that they are mostly confined to one base nowadays.[/]
Crew were brilliant. Short story, we flew the OP, did the debrief, crew did a hot QTR after the 9 hr sortie and I got home in time. We are still married.

You need to sit down and have a serious in depth discussion with Mrs and decide your options.

PS
BV is right [quote]These days it is entirely possible to have a much more stable career than your predecessors enjoyed. Just look at the aircraft types and you will realise that they are mostly confined to one base nowadays.[/]

It was certainly true that some, even at the height of the cold war, spent almost the whole of their time on one type at one base on an 8-5 Monday to Friday basis but that could be deadly boring.

alfred_the_great

24th Jun 2015, 21:40

Given that 2 of the top 3 reasons why people leave the Forces are 'Impact of Service Life on family and personal life' (61%) and 'Spouse's/Partner's career' (43%) - I'd suggest the toughen up or leave posts will likely make people leave.

Like it, lump it, tell stories of the 70s and 80s, but it's why people are leaving.

Source - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/armed-forces-continuous-attitude-survey-2015

Melchett01

24th Jun 2015, 23:13

It's been said already, and probably better than I could put it, but you need to be prepared for a life of instability regardless of the intent behind NEM to provide more stability.

The RAF is shrinking but our commitments remain as high as ever. What does that mean? Options for posting are becoming increasingly limited which on the plus side means you stand a fighting chance if being able to put down roots in a specific part of the country with a reasonable degree of certainty that you probably won't find yourself suddenly posted to the other end of the country. That's as close to domestic stability as you're likely to get these days.

The flip side to this shrinking force is that those that remain are spending more time either deployed on ops, on exercise - either exercising or 'flying the flag' for UK plc or in support of our allies or in training in preparation for all the above. Under the UN concept of 'responsibility to protect' combined with what in essence is a fairly liberal government means that we are often getting involved in places around the world that won't appear to be immediately obvious - how many people thought they'd ever be going to Nigeria or doing air policing over the Baltic as Russia flexes it's muscles on the other side of the border? That isn't going to change any time soon and you will be spending a lot of time away from home, sometimes in completely unexpected places that need you to dig out the atlas just to find out where they are. And often it's all at short notice - 3 days notice for a Balkans det, 5 days notice to go to Baghdad as a LO attached to the US Army in 2003 and 10 days notice to go to Helmand in 2006. You quickly become used to hearing the loaded questions "you haven't made plans for summer/Christmas have you or you do have insurance for that holiday?"

That's pretty much just the basics of life for anybody on the 'ops' side of the RAF these days, so your ground crew, ops and support staff will all be in the same boat and you as an officer will be expected to set the example to those more junior types who may also be struggling with the demands of operational life.

As you proceed up the ranks, time away on ops will decrease as your seniority increases and those coming in behind you take your place on the front line. However, it doesn't get any easier just because you aren't deployed to some random part of the world and you will more than likely find yourself working the same sort of long hours in a HQ somewhere, whether that be PJHQ, Air Comd, 1/2 Gp or even Army HQ or MOD. Even with NEM hinting at the prospect of stability there are plenty of other factors that work to undermine that concept. It's not going to be a smooth life by any stretch of the imagination, and certainly not compared to your average civilian career, but it's one hell of a ride. And like it or not your significant other will be a part of that whether you intend it or whether she wants it.

I'm not going to say get rid - that was the helpful advice we got on day 1 of IOT - "women are trouble and a distraction you don't need in training" - only you can make that call. The right woman by your side can be an invaluable anchor to reality and a source of support and a shoulder to cry on the days when it all goes wrong. The wrong woman by your side will invariably be the cause of the tears.

FJ2ME

25th Jun 2015, 02:38

Sorry for the re-attack, but on reflection I decided to bring up another elephant in the room on top of all the good advice above. There is an undeniable fact that a guy on a front line squadron who has a, how shall we say, demanding, wife becomes a supervisory problem of some sort.

Either 1. he puts up with all the moaning at home and does his bit at work, but is lacking in support at home and starts to crumble internally under the stress of it all. Or 2, he caves in to the moaning, even just a little bit, and becomes one of those guys that always has a reason that he cannot do things and, subconsciously or otherwise, tries to arrange his work life for the minimum home disruption. This just creates more work and burden for his colleagues and breeds resentment in the section.

Either way, you don't want to be that person.

None of us are really saying that you need to ditch her, but its also only fair to her that you fully explain what is likely to happen so she can make her own choice. It is much better to have had this conversation before and reasoned it out, than say 1930 on a saturday night pre-show in the west end, when you get a phone call to say your leave's been cancelled and you need to be in the squadron at 0800 the next morning ready to deploy. Believe me, to the unwarned, and even to the fully warned, that scenario rarely goes down well....

(Courtney, sorry for the F3 banter, too easy. But anyway it was merely presented as a spectrum analysis vs. the ridiculous deployment tempo of the Puma force-of which I have nothing to do with BTW. Don't be so precious. We all work hard I'm sure)

Wensleydale

25th Jun 2015, 08:04

I was once told by a SNCO (ground branch with a brevet) that he couldn't fly on his sortie tomorrow because his wife (a nurse) had just been put onto an extra night shift and he had to stay at home to look after the kids.........

One way interview soon followed - he didn't last very long.

Pontius Navigator

25th Jun 2015, 08:27

WD, and therein lies the rub. You cannot leave the children alone, you can't always get a baby sitter at short notice, and one's OH's job is arguably more important as an intensive care nurse than your's as a crewman on 'just another' exercise.

Military Service and OH' s job or career are often mutually incompatible.

More than once our children had to be dumped on a willing neighbour even for mundane things like a practice Royal lunch; we didn't actually get to the real lunch.

Professor Plum

25th Jun 2015, 08:41

"I was once told by a SNCO (ground branch with a brevet) that he couldn't fly on his sortie tomorrow because his wife (a nurse) had just been put onto an extra night shift and he had to stay at home to look after the kids........."

Sorry, but what does the RAF expect?

SNCO in another "wife has job and also gets buggered around" shocker.

The thing is, with a large number of breveted SNCOs getting made redundant, pay freeze and paltry pay rises, pension being messed around with, on top of lots of ops, and the "flexibility" required being called in more and more, perhaps people are getting a bit fed up with their wives being second fiddle to what is at the end of the day just a job. Who is it to say that his job is more important than hers?!?!

The days of it being a way of livfe are gone now I'm afraid, and if the powers that be don't understand this, then all the experienced married guys will leave. Or they'll end up being the unfortunate divorced 30-something's living In the mess.

To the original poster: you have been given an opportunity most would give their left testicle for. Grab it man! Have an honest chat with her. If she's your wife, you need her support or it won't work. You need to give your pilot training 110% or you won't make it buddy. You can achieve your dreams with or without her. I guess it's up to you to decide which one of the two it'll be. Trust me, it's invaluable having a supportive wife. I'm lucky to have one. She has no career (partly due to my job), and understands.

If however, your missus is a girlfriend, rather than wife, I'd suggest that if she ain't happy, then ditch her! Sounds harsh, but you don't want to be looking up at the skies in 10 years time, wishing you were flying!

Army Mover

25th Jun 2015, 09:24

I wasn't aircrew, but there are many similarities to the situations that many servicemen find themselves in; it's also relevant to mention that the OP may find himself in a command position, where the boot is on another foot and he may find his flying programme about to be impacted by someone's real-life. I had a Sgt, who's wife was absolutely fine with him going away, but he would fall to bits and would turn from an excellent tradesman, into a significant liability the moment we drove out of the camp gates (he also didn't last long).

In my case, SWMBO Mk1 couldn't hack it and our marriage crashed and burned after 7 years. SWMBO Mk2 was very supportive and our close-family stepped in when I was sent off at a moments notice.

To the OP - It needs a lot of thought and both parties need to really consider the implications of what is being taken on; best of luck for the future. :ok:

Exascot

25th Jun 2015, 10:58

IF, this isn't a wind up perhaps the OP would be kind enough to come back to us on what he thinks about the considerable, esteemed and almost all sensible advice offered. Or send us an address for invoices for consultancy services!

Fox3WheresMyBanana

25th Jun 2015, 11:04

If he is genuine, he may be taking one end of a pine pole on a scenic tour of Lincolnshire right now.

Exascot

25th Jun 2015, 11:08

Oh, it's only one end now - wimps :rolleyes:

petit plateau

25th Jun 2015, 11:20

I am ex RN and not aircrew, but have known a lot over the years - some of you are quite pleasant :) so please excuse a different perspective.

1. However much you explain to your significant other in advance about what it is going to be like, they don't understand it until the day it becomes a problem to them. Then it becomes a problem to you.

2. This is especially an issue if they are a professional & don't have a relocatable career. Nurse is better than brain surgeon; primary school teacher is better than university lecturer; part-time anything or nothing or parent is ideal. It is not a value judgement, just a reflection of the realities of the job market.

3. BUT if you decide to leave the services and stay with the girl then you could end up dealing with exactly the same issues outside. I once moved 7 times in 7 years (countries that is), all in civilian life, and in my case parting company with my wife en route due in part to dual career professional stress. Wrecking a marriage and two careers is not ideal, perhaps better to make better girlfriend selections early on, if you are likely to be in a mobile career. In this respect the UK armed forces' posting options are generally better matches for spouses than some civilian options.

Good luck, pp

PPRuNeUser0139

25th Jun 2015, 12:06

Good post pp! :ok:

Skeleton

25th Jun 2015, 13:01

Wensleydale,

One way interview soon followed - he didn't last long

I am hoping this chap had a history of avoiding flying without what you deemed to be a suitable reason. If this was a one off and it was me you can rest assured your caring leadership would have been been noted and following my silence at the one way interview raised a rank or two shortly after.

Yes I have experienced a similar situation and yes the ranks above helped me, but I did not make a habit of it and I made an enemy for the rest of that tour.

Wander00

25th Jun 2015, 13:05

Married 3 weeks (to current SWMBO), 6pm, pan on stove and air raid siren outside MQ in Norwich sounds. Rush upstairs, into "greens", grab car keys (base is 13 miles away and I am Ground Defence Cdr so authorised not to wait for bus but scare locals going through Wroxham). As I grab car keys, new bride say caustically - "Where the hell are you going?" "Call out", I say "What that.........?", but I have gone

Four hours later after Aunty Joan has run out of things to do went home - to "And where the hell have you been?" - and before we were married she had seen me called out at the Towers (not often mind you). I think the siren spooked her. But as someone said above, it is not until you have had the experience..............

Wensleydale

25th Jun 2015, 13:20

Skeleton - yes he was known for it. It was not a compulsory call in for his other half but the opportunity to work an extra shift at time and a half! As for making enemies...if he called off at short notice then someone else had to be called in for extra work to cover for him (at a time when we were flying for upwards of 700 hours per year). Try explaining to TACON that they cannot have an AWACS for their Op/Exer because one of the crew has to babysit....

olympus

25th Jun 2015, 13:25

There are literally thousands of young people in the country who would have loved nothing more than to tear in to that envelope one morning to find the letter inviting them on to the IOT course to become a pilot, but it never happened.

...and a goodly number of older people too.

Skeleton

25th Jun 2015, 13:34

Wensleydale, I hoped that was the case, (if you get my meaning) thank you for clearing that up. If your talking around 1998-2002 we may know each other.

minigundiplomat

25th Jun 2015, 13:54

Until recently, I would have agreed wholeheartedly with the statement below:

Yup, with a wife like that now, you have to make a choice...wife or the RAF. She needs to be 100% on your side and prepared to be on her own for long periods.

However, playing devils advocate, that was before the military/treasury decided to adopt very civilian working practices and turn the armed forces from a vocation/career into a job.

My question is whether the attitude expressed above, are still valid against the backdrop of NEM, redundancies, pay restraint and the 'train to Glasgow'?

TheWizard

25th Jun 2015, 21:12

I was once told by a SNCO (ground branch with a brevet)

WD, arguably more important as an intensive care nurse than your's as a crewman on 'just another' exercise.

Just to be pedantic, "ground branch with a brevet" does not equal "crewman"

Rearcrew would be more accurate eg Fighter Controller, ABM etc and as for "brevet".....:hmm::E

Romeo Oscar Golf

25th Jun 2015, 21:13

I'm guessing "todge" (sic) is a wind up merchant, but he has solicited some excellent replies. If he's for real, then he won't last long for all the reasons given by you good guys, not least for being so pig ignorant and not responding to the advice proffered.
However....
When I applied and was accepted for pilot training (how I got through Biggin Hill still surprises me) I had absolutely no idea what the RAF was about nor what a pilot did (except fly). I joined because it sounded more exciting than working in Insurance in the City -- (paid better too). That was in 1963. My girlfrind at the time, latterly my wife, was only concerned that I may come back speaking with a plum in my mouth. She knew that all pilots were officers....I didn't!. I eventually left 20 years later never having been seperated from my wife for longer than 4 weeks and having lived together in Singapore and Germany twice and always within 30mins of work in UK.
So... no complaints from me.:ok:

Wrathmonk

25th Jun 2015, 21:19

Is this the return of Admin Guru (who, IIRC, was a collective of bored BFTS studes)? 10 years on, a few tours under their belt, now trying to liven up a dull staff tour by casting a few lines for some of the O'n'B to nibble on?

Wensleydale

25th Jun 2015, 21:24

"Rearcrew would be more accurate eg Fighter Controller, ABM etc and as for "brevet".....:hmm::E"

Of course - FC Brevet is an Italian football team.

Fox3WheresMyBanana

25th Jun 2015, 21:43

Favourite not-best-pleased wife story (related by wife herself):
Exchange tour to Florida, way-back-when.
Hubby completes short convex,when wife arrives. Three days later, hurricane forecast so jets all leave for California. Wife left in usual MOQ tarpaper shack, with two infants and a babe-in-arms, in path of said hurricane.

Shortly after, squadron deploys to a well known conflict on the other side of the Pacific. Of course, no RAF aircrew flew in that war, did they? ;) Officially

She toughed it out. Hat tip, ma'am.

Todger

25th Jun 2015, 22:46

Wow, that is a lot of advice! Thank you all for offering your experiences, I think I need to have a serious conversation with my girlfriend about what life in the RAF could mean for us. So far I've stuck with an optimistic view - I've obviously been sucked in by the bumf of the NEM - but it will be better to confront everything head on, rather than hope for the best.

In any case, leaving the RAF is 100% not an option, I'm not going back to an office job...

Tengah Type

25th Jun 2015, 23:58

Who knows what will happen in the next 20 years. I have flown with guys who had served muliple heavy bomber ( Lancaster through to Victor- 1942 to 1970 ) tours and never been posted further than 50 miles from Marham, and were lucky to do a month a year on detachments. 101 Squadron of the VC10 force was on continuous operational detachments of between 25% and 100% of the Squadron strength between 1990 and 2012.( But we did also get some cracking USA airshows to attend ). SH probably worse from the time at home point of view.

I suppose the main difference from the family point of view is that in my early days most wives did not have careers, so could move with their "Lord and Master " as and when the Air Ministry/MOD decreed. Also resettlement
benefits were more generous allowing you to get on the property ladder on retirement.

Assuming this is a genuine post, I hope it has given you, and your wife,
some indication that nobody knows what the future will serve up, but you will probably have great fun, a lot of frustration, and a little grief.
I did 50+ years "in blue" as a regular and reserve and 90%+ was positive. Best of luck matey.