1: Read above; I am indeed part of a flight crew from time to time.
2: As a pilot, you are probably aware that we quite often all end up at the same old hotels ending with "ton" or "ott" or "plaza" despite what company we work for.
3: I'm terrible at faces, but it is fairly easy to recognize a UK crew sitting in the bar for three distinct reasons: a/ a mix of 2 blokes and 4-6 ladies, b/ they speak with an English accent and c/they talk very loudly about aeroplanes, bitch about rosters and their early start next morning, complain about their per diems and so forth. Get the drift? You've undoubtedly been there yourself. For other crews, of virtually any nationality or airline, replace b/ as applicable. It hardly requires an intimate knowledge of rosters or a Sherlock Holmes mindset. Plain old reasoning will do. And as you should know, crews over-nighting in Europe flying for a Europen carrier, with some exceptions of course, usually came in on the late and as good as always take the same aeroplane out early next morning. Hardly rocket science, but of course since it is not backed 100% by scientific data, I suppose sticking your head in the sand is an option. Pathetic, in my mind, but still an option. If, with your relatively modest 10 years experience, have yet to encouter this you must have led a sheltered life.
4: No, I don't count the drinks nor the alcohol %. I don't really care. But I have observed, on several occasions and all the ones mentioned in a previous post, that often they are among the last to leave the bar, having sat there for a few hours. Strangely, you rarely hear Italian, German, French, Swedish or Flemmish spoken at those tables, it's always English. Innocent until proved guilty, indeed. Sand, head, stick.
5: If you, with that wealth of experience so obvious from your post, can't fathom the possible lethal consequences of an incorrect loading then I suppose you've spend too little time on freighters. However, where did I ever say that my job had the same safety implications as a pilot? There are infinatly more ways your f.up can kill me than mine can kill you, which is just another good reason why we should all stay off the alcohol 8 hours prior.
6: "Don't dare compare skills". Oh, I'm sorry All Mighty Button Pushing God Of The Skies. I'm not worthy
Listen, you may think that being a pilot is the end all of human intellect. I have another opinion. You can't do your job without me, I can't do my job without you. Simple, really. Took me longer to get this job than getting an ATPL, had I chosen to. I chose not to, end of story.
7: My arse will be roughly .000002 miliseconds after yours arriving at the scene of an accident, being sat there in the jumpseat as the case often is. What is your point?
8: As a lowly loadmaster, FTLs doesn't really apply to us. So it is quite possible to finish up at 2300 (couple of hours after the flyboys went to the hotel) and be back at 0600 (couple of hours before the flyboys leave the hotel) and does happen a lot. You think you're the only who have it tough from time to time? You really should get out more and learn there is more to aviation than flogging aeroplanes from a to b and other professions in avaition than pilots. Some vastly more important, though not me - I'm just one small part of the team.
We all know what goes on guys, why are you so bloody afraid of admitting to it?