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time ,there is a gentle audio `bing-bong`,but if that doesn`t work,then there is a `seat-shaker` alarm.The blinds are withdrawn and the pilot can then have his lunch,curtesy of a little tray that folds up/down on the cockpit side,and a little white box appears with crispy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?

It was the Typhoons that went to Italy as I recall ken (GDC)?

Research.
 

I wonder what the record for single seat pee bag use is? One of our guys (now sadly departed) once bought in three full ones after an epic trip to Oman in the mighty hovering war budgie, dropped them on the counter and started to mooch off. Three! I politely decline the offer and returned them to him quoting nil returns 🤣.

Sorties of that length in the V Force (Victor tankers in my case) were not unknown. The rear crew could leave their seats although there was little point as there was nowhere to go, but the two pilots were stuck in their bang seats for the duration so were in no better a position than the FJ crews who might be accompanying them. Possible to put the pins in and get out I suppose, but there would have been little point.

Trailing some Harrier GR3s back across the Pond from Goose, as we reached UK airspace the controller started being rather terse with one of our receivers in loose formation as his height was wandering a little.

"Look mate, single engine, single pilot, no autopilot and I'm trying to have a pee - I'm doing my best!" came the reply.... :ok:

Javelin certainly deployed to the Far East 1-1 with a Valiants so long legs El Adem Aden Gan Butterworth

Have flown in a Victor for over 3 hours, like TTN says not much room to move about.

Ascension to Coningsby in F4 8.50hrs 7 tanking slots. Southern QRA 6.50hrs & 5.45hrs. Never could get through the immersion suit to use a pee bag!

I believe that any Lancaster/Halifax etc pilots that annoyed the groundcrew could sometimes end up with a knot tied in their pee tube.

Good rumour but impossible.

The F6 Lightning couldn't take off with full overwings. They would fill during in-flight refuelling.

Spare a thought for the mighty Piper Warrior warrior who having filled his bottle up, ( carried along for the purpose ) still requiring to go, so decided to empty the said bottle out of the DV window, much to the chargrin of his friend in the back who copped the lot...fair play he cleaned up the aircraft, his friend however was not amused.

The B2 round trips from the US to Libya were around 30 hours, also in a bang seat.

Well, yes, but the B-2 also has a camp bed, proper (albeit tiny) toilet & small galley for those long missions.

Similar tale Nut. Took two bods up to Manchester in a Seneca. Got delayed out of Elstree, so they decided to drink. Not sure where, but they picked up a bottle of Single Malt in a presentation tin. 30 mins into the flight one of them was desperate, so he took the malt from the tin and peed in that. Alas said tin wasn't water tight and it came out all over his feet. Luckily his chum had a strong polythene bag and it was placed in that, so problem solved. He then hang it on the coat hook. On landing long and fast with a 767 up our behind, we bounced .Said tin and it contents spilled out over the pair of them! We taxied to the GA terminal, where they went to clean up and they then spent 30mins cleaning the aircraft.

I remember flying No Fly Zone enforcement missions over Iraq (operation Southern Watch, etc) after Gulf War I. A long transit to feet dry in theater, then several refuelings feet dry, following by a long transit back to the carrier for night recovery with piddle packs stuffed here and there and everywhere. And those Go Pills!! (stay awake stimulant drugs)