Argo,
Don't be put off by the negative comments you have (and may continue) to receive re: WSOp/AEOp. Having spent over 20 years in the RAF, 12 of them as an AEOp, I can tell you that, in general, it's a good life. The pay is fair and the job usually challenging and interesting. With regard to Swinging M's comment that on the E3-D:
"even part-time aircrew, in the form of Fighter controllers are given a higher status than proffessional AEOps"
I never found that to be true when I was on the E3 fleet. The job on Nimrods is about to change out of all recognition, SAR is still the best job in the RAF and E3's are are a travelling party machine. If you fancy a good job (as opposed to a career) then AEOp/WSOp still has a lot to offer.
good luck.
