Originally Posted by
truckiebloke
What I really like is leaving home at 0700, spending most of the day flying and teaching the student(the good bit) and then thinking at about 1730, its just about time to go home....
Oh, but then I'm asked whether I've completed the ''little jobs'' and secondary duties....
What I really like is leaving home at 0400 to prepare for an 0700 Take Off - to find there's no serviceable aircraft - yet!.
What I really -
really like then, is using the time constructivley to catch up with the little admin things in life which form such an important part of our support infrastructure.
No problem, delayed flight - good excuse for a spot of 'fat boys breakfast' in the mess
- but due to staff shortages it's centralised messing in the airmans mess this week and late breakfasts are out!
Ok, nip up to SHQ and renew the wife's railcard at last - except it's Wednesday - due to staff shortages - they don't do Wednesdays.
Clothing stores then? - new shirts - "Nah, we've been waiting for that size for weeks"
- How about replacing these trousers? - "No problem Sir, Tailors Parade Tuesdays 1000-1200 - but she's on holiday for 3 weeks"
hmmm.... Ah - SCAF (inventories) - just up stairs - "Sorry Sir, Cpl Stacker went OOA last week, I've just taken over his desk as well as my own, and I know nothing about your inventory"
A spot of admin? - except the computer system has dumped all my details and doesn't know who I am - and the one in house specialist computer bod is on CCS det prep - all week!
Oh bug*er, can't check my e-mails, work on those overdue reports, or those lesson preps. Can't check the tea bar accounts or the duty rosters for the Xmas period. Double bug*er!
Oh well - chin up - how's the aircraft? - "Yep, we've got one serviceable, but it's shift change and the next shift will have to AF/BF it - should be ready by lunch time"
(quick mental calc - hour and a half crew in - could be airborne by 1400 - if we're quick. - 6hr Op/CT. - land by 2000 - oops - quick call to the wife to rejig this evenings plans.)
Now what? - Annual medical - "Certainly Sir, - first available appointment March 27"
Dental centre - How soon could I get a hygenist appointment please? -
"We would give you one tomorrow Sir, - if we had a hygenist"
Gymnasium - "Sorry Sir, the showers are U/s"
Submit a leave application - except I can't get logged on to the JPA
Car Pass - "Sorry Sir, he's on his break, back in 15mins - staff shortages you know".
So I stand for 15mins and marvel at the volume of traffic going on and off the Station, and how those in uniform are all stopped for ID checks, but the white vans, artics and taxis are waved straight through - amazing. Somebody must be busy.
"Sorry Sir, the sticky back plastic machine is broken so I can't issue a permenant pass, but your temporary one is good for another 3 days"!
- I don't suppose I can..... -
"Nope, not when there's still 3 days on that one, you'll have to come back when that runs out"
- Could I maybe speak to OC Plods and..... -
"Nope, she's just gone OOA and the F/Sgt is on post det leave"
Ok, count to ten, shrug shoulders, bow politely and give in...
Check on aircraft again. Yippee, AF/BF is complete - Oh bug*er - the one 'qualified' driver on shift is busy with coach runs to the rifle range for the Regt Flight, then he's on lunch break so we won't get fuel 'till 1330 - "staff shortages you know"
Airborne by 1430 maybe? - you must be joking - there's a Take-off and Landing embargo between 1400 and 1600 because of the fire section shift manning problems, not helped by having 4 firemen on gate guard this week.
Airborne at 1600 then? - so that was in for 0430 to get airborne at 1600 for 6hrs and land at 2200,
- crew duty time, err.. just about legal,
- motivation, err.. just about intact,
- morale, err... fragile,
- playmates, err... none existant,
- training value, err...zero,
but the Flight deck crew need the hours for currency, the rear crew have a standards check tomorrow in the sim and the Staish needs to show the hours flown this month so we better go.
2200 landing - "Sorry Sir, the Eng you borrowed from crew 2 is flying as Ops1 with crew 6 tomorrow at 0700 and needs some rest time before another early start."
- "Where's our Eng?" -
"You haven't got one!."
Oh bug*er.
Drop in by the Ops room on the way out and note; 'War flyable Aircraft Availability 98.5%'
and in the remarks column for todays sortie - 'Cancelled - Aircrew Scrub. - No Crew!'
What I really, really -
really like then, is to sit at home in the evening with a great sense of achievement and satisfaction after a productive days work, content in the knowledge that my days efforts are a highly valued contribution to the collective objective and proud of the fact that the huge logistics tail of this modern efficient fighting Air Farce is there to support me....
