Slow day at work yesterday, so was reading excerpts from Courtney's blog online - and a question occurred to me which former drivers of the big MiG parts distributor may be able to answer.
Averaged out how many hours do you all reckon you were flying each day on 43 Squadron during the 80's?
In general was it a sortie a day?
Did you ever fly 2-3 sorties in a day - or more?
What was the longest time you actually spent continuously airborne in an F4 - including tanking?
The reason I ask is that reading through what Courtney had written about checklists, start procedures etc - it struck me just how complex the Phantom's systems were - so reactions to faults or failures as well as just the processes to actually fly the thing must have needed to be almost instinctive.
As a mere civilian - I find these fast jet human factor issues very interesting - and the fact that western air forces aren't just superior because of technology, but time spent in the air by their pilots as well.
I'd always assumed there was at least one of you up there in the cold and the dark over Dogger, Fisher or German Bight keeping us safe while we all slept soundly in our beds...
