RAF Fastjet Flying Nonstop?
 

Hello All

With seeing the one show last night about the F-35s crossing the Atlantic to the UK. It said the pilots were flying 10 hours nonstop, how does a single seat pilot manage in all that time without being able to move about etc? I thought it bad enough on some uk airlines!!

How does a Glider Pilot do the same when doing long cross country flights?

Grin & bear it!!

G90,they obviously didn`t discuss the little known facts about the reclining ejection seat.In a long cruise there is a selector on the side of the seat that will allow the seat to recline 40 degrees back,at the same time,moving the rudder pedals out of the way.The Autopilot is linked to the controlling tanker,so the aircraft will follow it,so that the pilot can have a rest/sleep;there is also an electric blind that will cover the inside of the cockpit,preventing all those nasty cosmic rays.When it`s time for lunch/refuel time ,there is a gentle audio `bing-bong`,but if that doesn`t work,then there is a `seat-shaker` alarm.The blinds are withdrawn and the pilot can then have his lunch,curtesy of a little tray that folds up/down on the cockpit side,and a little white box appears with crispy sandwiches,hard-tack biscuits,chewing gum,and `Walkers crisps`.Also not mentioned is that the pilots also have a `catheter` fitted before flight,and of course a large `nappy` to cater for the inevitable.They can of course program one of the cockpit displays to watch CNN/FOX overseas,or BBC/ITV/SKY,ETC,or connect their Xbox and play games if they are bored.If it`s a night flight,then they can always have an audio bed-time story......

Sycamore, you forgot to include the inflight "relief service."

Catheter and nappy,or did you mean set the seat-shaker to `high`...?

It is of note, in this context, that the Corsair had a pull-out tray table under the instrument panel. Useful for in-flight dining, but apparently intended for working with charts.

But what about the days with Buccaneers, Lightnings, Phantoms etc that were going to Cyprus or Gan?

Pee Tube and a Scran Bag, surely?

Piddle pack and lunchbox. If piddle pack unused, sponge v good for car washing.

Funnily enough, we I believe had a used condom found under the seat after one such flight, it was returned to the said pilot during a dining in night :E

Didn't UK based Tornado deliver weapons during the Libyan thing? There and back?

F-111s flew non stop from UK bases to hit Libya in 1986, after the French, Spanish and Italians denied them overflights.

No.

Detached to a base in Italy.

I seem to recall reading that the emptying of Lancaster Elsans over Berlin resulted in German claims that the RAF was indulging in chemical warfare...

It is really a question of preparation. You would be foolish to drink endless coffee when on Q or pre-flight. We were encouraged to eat low fat, no beans food before flight. In-flight sarnies were supposed to be bite size.

Of course some catering units, unused to aircrew rations could cock up in spades. In particular, bottles of undiluted squash, hard boiled eggs in shells, oranges, bananas (not much better), cups of tinned mixed fruit.

I think IX(B) would disagree with you Ken

Second longest sorties by RAF aircraft.

I think it was out of Lossiemouth on an Andover, the aircraft was furnished with a delicious platter of sandwiches for the day ahead. The crew I was with enjoyed them so much, the nav wrote a note as a thank you. I assumed from that that flying rations weren't usually up to much?