I really should know better but what the hell.....
Blogger - your very question indicates your ignorance.
I recall that some years ago a Flt Lt RAF Policeman had a letter published in Airclues along very similar lines. He was appalled at a previous letter in which a pilot lamented the burden of additional duties distracting him from his primary duties at a time when he was putting in 30+ hours a month.
Said Plod was disgusted, citing other officers that worked 30+ hours a WEEK. How we laughed - or would have, had we not held our heads in horror at how someone wearing the same uniform could have so little understanding of OUR core business. We invited Mr Plod to our secret base in Norfolk and he went away mightily impressed, honestly opining that we had 'a
PR problem - people don't know how hard you work'.
So here we are again...
For your info - 30+ hours a month is a lot for a FJ sqn pilot. I would cautiously estimate that one sortie (about 1.5 hrs) takes about 5-6 hours from start plan to finish debrief, depending upon mission complexity and whether it is self-generated or exercise tasking. Fly twice = long day and no lunch. AAR leads to longer sorties but not a directly proportional increase to the mission cycle (e.g. 2.5 hrs aloft and a mission cycle of about 7-8 hours) Time alone is not adequate measure though as, if you were fortunate enough to witness it, you would be struck by the intensity of the environment. I have had the opportunity to fly many pax in my time - I advise them not to drive at the end of the day. They ALL go away physically and mentally exhausted and sleep like the dead.
Now let’s consider detachments/ops/exercises. Who do you think handles the administrative and logistical implications? No doubt your firm grasp of reality has a dedicated team parachuting in from STC/SHQ/Never-Never-Land to handle such a burden. Wrong. The Sqn sorts it out from within its existing resources. Which means that a pilot/nav will be detailed to be the Project Officer, who then delegates the myriad of detailed tasks to his colleagues. Without let up in training or tasking.
I am intrigued by your lack of respect for aircrew when you evidently know so little about them. You should, frankly, be ashamed that you have not made it your business to find out – and I mean in far more constructive ways than simply posting inflammatory threads on a public forum. Any Sqn, though busy, would make the effort to accommodate a genuine query relating to OUR core profession.
I am also appalled at my foolishness in responding and can only attribute it to being the end of a long (BH)day of OJARs – I hope the irony is not lost upon you but I fear I am wasting my breath….