Stability - Flying job 'up North'

[EESDL]

You know the score...3 years to do, looking to settle down, give kids a good run at the same school (Boardings a no-no)
Don't want to go 'Civvy'.
Can't afford to buy 'down South'.
If I opt for the Instructor route and sign on for Spec Aircrew then what could I expect further North? Don't mind what I fly, as long as it works.......
Current ME Captain, who logged 40 mins mil flying and 40 hrs civvy for Jul, and looking forward to a single overnight this month!!

[Whoosh]

EESDL

You could do a lot worse than volunteer for a UAS - loadsa flying (300hrs a year) - but be prepared for some hard work. good fun though.

Gear down and bonded :)

[Magic Mushroom]

EESDL,
If you're looking for a comfy and convienient multi job, what about the E-3D at Waddo. Normal advantages of big fish/small pond community (fairly rapid captaincy and a good chance of decent jollies each year), looks good on the licences and is centrally located for schools/outlaw visits. House prices also cheap (150K for a good sized 4 bedroom).
Jets good although serviceability a bit dodgy. Failing that there's also 51 Sqn but I'd have to kill you if I told you about them!
Not sure if we're far enough north for you.
Best of luck!
M2 :)

[StopStart]

Ah, excellent! Does this mean I can take you off the board then?
Any more bitching and I'll see to it you only get 30 mins this month!

Bloody moonlighters.....

[EESDL]

Lincoln..blimey, I might even bump into some old slappers from the clubs...bargain!
Is it still true that you have to climb over the pushchairs to get into the clubs?

[Dr Schlong]

Not so, Ritzy's now has a pushchair car-park out the back - be careful they don't get clamped though! :eek:

[jotpilot]

Whoosh

Me a civvy pilot - just curious, but are you serious when you say 300 hours a year is 'loadsa flying' for the military? If so, is that ME, FJ and rotary?

[StopStart]

Whoosh is talking about instructional flying on a University Air Squadron. That said, the way things are at the moment, that's probably about average for a fair few mil jobs at the mo'.
I wouldn't consider 300hrs per year as "loadsa flying" though. I'd consider it pants; probably what EESDL is trying to get away from. I think that's about what I got last year on Hercs.....roll on J course..apparently they actually go flying...

[Whoosh]

Stopstart

You're absolutely right, I guess 300 hours a year isn't loadsa flying but in the Tutor its about 400 sorties. So that's probably "loadsa strap-ins"! My point is that there are jobs with stability that don't require you to spend lots of time away on detachment either in hotels or tents.

I think some of the F3 boys might like your 300 hours a year, until very recently they've been a bit short on flying time.

EESDL, house prices in Yorkshire not quite as low as around Lincoln but still more reasonable than down south. Also, lots of good schools and if you hoof it you can get to manchester airport in under an hour and a half.

Whoosh

Gear down and bonded ;)

[BEagle]

Average of the last 10 years of continuous flying is 377 per year. Some of that was attempting to interest Stopstart in 'aerobation'!

[NoseGunner]

On the hours thing - if I did 300 hours in a year, I'd be dead at the end of it!
250 / year FJ is a very busy, hard working year and not achieived by many people at all (that I know of).
Remember that a 1 hour sortie actually takes at least 6 hours of constant work (no straight and level, let alone autopilot). Then of course there is the SOP ton of paperwork (or is that tonne?)

Not that I'm complaining - I love flying FJ, unfashionable though that is. ;)

[BEagle]

Back in the late '70s and early '80s, I flew about 300 hours per annum on V-bombers and then about 250 per year on FJ (AD). So in the current era, I'd reckon that 250 on a front-line FJ would be pretty darn busy!

[stillin1]

250+ HRS/YR FJ! (certainly AD) is
a. a dream.
b. nigh on impossible.
c. probably a quick route to a coranary & divorce.
Mind you I would like the chance to have a go, need the jets first though!

[Cooperman]

Some of the QFIs at Valley have been known to clock up 50 to 60 hours per month!

Me, I'd get bored with going to stores to collect all those sets of four-coloured pens that they must get through.

The Canadian Hornet guys are capped at 178 hours per year. Nightmare. 200-240 hours per year is the FJ norm. As NoseGunner says, any more and you'd be burnt out.

Besides, it's quality, not quantity. Shame my wife doesn't agree.......


Moosa Aswayita! :rolleyes:

[JimNich]

EESDL,

Exactly HOW far North do you want to go?

[Up Very Gently]

Sorry to intrude on this thread chaps,

As recently as late '98, "Down South", did 120hrs on board the "Flying Death Banana" in 6 weeks, as a Loadie. Flipping tiring, I can tell you, but at least I could go for a wee-wee and fag every so often, unlike the poor sods up front! Is Lot 22 really closed?

UVG