I presume you mean 16 weeks away in any one year? I personally have been away 20+ weeks every year for the past 3-4 years. I am not at all unusual in that respect (by the way I am not looking for/expecting any sympathy, I already have a dictionary!!), it is the norm on my entire fleet, indeed some unlucky guys spend considerably more time away!!
A case of nobody passing on bad news to the man at the top, or 'spin' being applied to the truth?