Worth pointing out the flights route through Cyprus so that the troops coming home for good can go through decompression at Camp Bloodhound, so Air to Air wouldn't really help.
The typical journey home causes so much mental anguish that I'm sure 8 out of 10 squaddies (and commanders) would happily trade a couple of nights' drinking / fighting / supervised tree-hugging in Cyprus for a non-stop ticket to Brize.
10,000 troops in, Jan
10,000 troops in, May
10,000 troops in Sept
30,000 seats used, 4 Month tours no R&R
I totally buy the argument about face-to-face contact for foot patrols, and personal relationships for commanders - but if the recent reports in the press are to be believed, then only about 20% of army pers in HERRICK actually set foot outside the wire. The 80% that stay inside the wire could be rotated on a 4-month no R&R basis - they are supporting pers, just like the various RAF elements. That would leave just 20% to do 6, 9 or 12-monthers with R&R - a much lower burden on the airbridge.
It might also encourage a little bit more continuity between consecutive HERRICKs.