Cold War: Probably because I had an engineering degree, I was nominated as Sqn "Fatigue Officer" when a new set of sortie/role restrictions linked to the Fatigue Index of the jet came in. The idea was to find the limits of the sortie FI logging procedure so we could effectively carry on flying the way we were doing. It took me about 3 weeks to come up with a few simple rules, e.g add a couple of GCAs at the end of an ACT sortie to make the sortie length over xx minutes. No lying necessary.
From my inexact understanding of the FI calcs, I reckoned this would knock about a third off the real lifespan of the jet.
The reason this was done was because the squadron was tasked with being Operational, and it would not (in the estimation of my seniors and betters) have been possible to do this and follow the life-extending procedures.
It's pretty simple really. You can't pull 9 'g' for the first time in a real war. Buy jets more often or accept they are less capable because of the restrictions. You can't have less FI usage and keep full operational capability. Same applies to flying hours.
If the politicians and REMFs aren't prepared to accept this, the operational crews will find a way around your "rules". Always have, always will. It just suits us to appear to be knuckle-dragging banana munchers.
p.s. I have a massive 1 hour in the mighty F-15B, and personally pulled 9'g' five times. Oh boy, was it fun!
p.p.s. The Bulldog entered service in 1972 with an official release to service of 4.75'g'. For some unknown reason, the Aircrew Manual and FRCs permitted 5.25 'g' until 1984. Student doing aerobatics were taught to fly most manoeuvres to 5.25 'g' until that year. That was fun too.
Last edited by Fox3WheresMyBanana; 12th Mar 2013 at 00:37.