And I think we can see why you were a Harrier mate....
As for your ultra long haul job I assume it's in a big fluffy 744 that does everything for you and supplies you with a cruise pilot so you can get a bit of kip on the way? Oh, and you had a decent night's sleep in a big fluffy hotel before hand. Piece of wee wee indeed.
Now try it in a 30+ yr old bucket with worse nav kit than most private yachts, carrying more snags than there's space in the 700 to write about having had 8hrs sleep in the last 48 with an 0200 departure for an 8hr leg.
I don't want to get into a willy waving contest here as it's pointless. The gripe is not about field conditions per se but the penny-pinching mindset that allows it to occur when it doesn’t have to. Don't get me wrong, the setup in Thumrait is fine (in my opinion). Same tents, some mess tent, same showers and bogs. Main difference is: only a couple of types operating there (no mixed crew types in same tent) and the accommodation is not on the airfield. I'd happily do a det in Thumrait (no really - go on, send some of us route queens down there - I could do with the hours!) Muscat is multiple types working to totally different schedules all living in the same, small place on an international airport. It is impossible to get any sort of decent kip. Simple as that.
As for "the captains with spine" quip (thanks btw I'll take mine with me next time) this isn't an exercise where it's easy to cry off but an Op where other people are relying on you to do your job. I'm sure loads of the crews (FJ/multi etc) cried off sorties during the Gulf, Boz and Kos etc etc because they were a bit sleepy. Of course they didn't. We in the RAF suffer from professional pride and an individual lack of willingness to be the weakest link. We get the job (however menial you may consider it) done. Unfortunately the powers that be know that and are quite happy to use that against us.
I'm a route Herc mate and won't even begin to compare my bubble-wrap hauling, scrabble playing job with that done by the tanker and recce blokes. I imagine, however, they'll have something to say about your analysis of their particular "piece of wee wee" job.
That said, landing a 50 tonne bucket in crap weather having just spent the last 8 hrs trying to keep your eyes open isn’t always a piece of wee wee. Sadly we’re not blessed with triple INs, Vertical Nav autopilots, auto-throttles, auto-ILS, auto-brakes, auto-taxy and auto-****wiping like some people...
