How long?
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Looking over your shoulder
Age: 50
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Whilst in 42cdo, some joker decided to bring us back from Brunei in a Herc, cheers easy.
Then the same plum decided that we could come back from Norfolk, Virginia via Gander in a Herc as well.
Don't remember how long the flights took but I do know that the git that designed the sling seats was a torture specialist. And that it's a damn good idea to bring ear defs, personel stereo and a lightweight civvie slug.
Then the same plum decided that we could come back from Norfolk, Virginia via Gander in a Herc as well.
Don't remember how long the flights took but I do know that the git that designed the sling seats was a torture specialist. And that it's a damn good idea to bring ear defs, personel stereo and a lightweight civvie slug.
10.35 minutes in A Shacklebomber from Akrotiri to Gib. Would have been half an hour less but we had to jink round the edge of Lybia's FIR. Range speed was about 150kts.
Funniest bit was the crew chief had forgotten to only load the Elsan 1/3 full of fluid. So after 8 hours it was brimming. As a self-inflicted punishment he scooped it our by hand with a paper cup and dropped contents down the flare chute with a call of "One Gone" for every floater.
Also did 11 hours of overnight misery off Brittany looking for French CV during a JMC. Think it took so long because she was out-running us. Actually found her after 5 hours but Boss (Boots to those who knew him) wanted to stay out to build up hours. He was trying to beat Nav Leader to 10,000 hrs on 10,000 rivets. Shoot me now.
Similar to Pontius: Got scrambled on Taceval at Lossie. Trogged off to W of Hebrides, called off and sent back to awaiting gas masks and f-factor on ground. So flew at endurance whilst 3 waves of "Fencers" made life misery for those left behind, ate the aircraft down to landing weight and only RTBed when Boss had a paddy on the sqn freq. Then spent night in 2ndry Ops with Scrote, a TV on mute and chair wedged under door handle, putting on S6 to answer phone.
Sorry, I digress...
Funniest bit was the crew chief had forgotten to only load the Elsan 1/3 full of fluid. So after 8 hours it was brimming. As a self-inflicted punishment he scooped it our by hand with a paper cup and dropped contents down the flare chute with a call of "One Gone" for every floater.
Also did 11 hours of overnight misery off Brittany looking for French CV during a JMC. Think it took so long because she was out-running us. Actually found her after 5 hours but Boss (Boots to those who knew him) wanted to stay out to build up hours. He was trying to beat Nav Leader to 10,000 hrs on 10,000 rivets. Shoot me now.
Similar to Pontius: Got scrambled on Taceval at Lossie. Trogged off to W of Hebrides, called off and sent back to awaiting gas masks and f-factor on ground. So flew at endurance whilst 3 waves of "Fencers" made life misery for those left behind, ate the aircraft down to landing weight and only RTBed when Boss had a paddy on the sqn freq. Then spent night in 2ndry Ops with Scrote, a TV on mute and chair wedged under door handle, putting on S6 to answer phone.
Sorry, I digress...
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: North Yorkshire
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In a C-130
Day 1 - Lyneham to Macrihanish - picked up periscope and RAF Falcons, overnight
Day 2 - Macrihanish to Gander - overnight
Day 3 - Gander to Kennedy Space centre, dropped off periscope. Loadmaster attacked by alligator while fagging it on the side of the pan
- overnight
Day 4 - Kennedy Space Centre to Fort Lewis, dropped off freight and RAF Falcons, picked up Army Freight - overnight (crew change)
Day 5 - Fort Lewis to Edmonton (Canada) - overnight
Day 6 - Greyhound Bus to Wainwright.
Just to save £150 on the civvie air fare from LHR to YYC -
Day 1 - Lyneham to Macrihanish - picked up periscope and RAF Falcons, overnight
Day 2 - Macrihanish to Gander - overnight
Day 3 - Gander to Kennedy Space centre, dropped off periscope. Loadmaster attacked by alligator while fagging it on the side of the pan
- overnightDay 4 - Kennedy Space Centre to Fort Lewis, dropped off freight and RAF Falcons, picked up Army Freight - overnight (crew change)
Day 5 - Fort Lewis to Edmonton (Canada) - overnight
Day 6 - Greyhound Bus to Wainwright.
Just to save £150 on the civvie air fare from LHR to YYC -
Cunning Artificer
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: The spiritual home of DeHavilland
Age: 76
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Kathmandu to Nagoya and straight back again on a B757. Two stops in Hong Kong for pax on-board refuel. Three flight crews along the way, but flying spanners are expendable. 23 hours including holding on the ground to accommodate the night curfew at Kai Tak - and you can't sleep on a B757 jump seat.
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: UK
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Not me with my paltry 11:40 single flt but a mate who claimed 25+ hrs non stop on a 707 variant during the Nicaragua farce.
Of course the kings will probably be the B2 with 35 ish hr duration sorties from Whitman to mid east and back without landing ?
Or the Shuttle
Ginge
Of course the kings will probably be the B2 with 35 ish hr duration sorties from Whitman to mid east and back without landing ?
Or the Shuttle
Ginge
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Bit nosey aren't you
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3xF3 Leeming-Daharan-Leuchars. 9hrs 45 going, 12hrs on the ground and then nearly 11hrs coming back. Lost Number 2 at Cambrai and had to divert to Leuchars because of fog at Leeming. All without out a piss!
Being men we decided to have a beer in the bar and then off out for a curry. Woke up in the Cuzzer (Balaka?) to see the other pilot sleeping over the back of the booth, one Nav tucked up with a piece of nan bread and the other with his head in the starter. God we were giggling wrecks at the end of it.
Being men we decided to have a beer in the bar and then off out for a curry. Woke up in the Cuzzer (Balaka?) to see the other pilot sleeping over the back of the booth, one Nav tucked up with a piece of nan bread and the other with his head in the starter. God we were giggling wrecks at the end of it.
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: england
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Just checked my log book. 23 hours from Odi to Freetown in a wokka!! Left on the Sunday afternoon, arrived Monday night. Did stop for refuels on the way obviously but 23 hours flying in a wokka in a 32 hour period isn't bad!
P.S That was operating, not paxing!!!!
P.S That was operating, not paxing!!!!
Last edited by jollygreenfunmachine; 30th Jun 2006 at 08:52.
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Too far North - hardly a RAF base that isn't these days...
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I can only claim a couple of 10H20M sorties MPA-drop at South Georgia-AAR-Sth Sandwich Island Recce-MPA
and
Lyneham-Halifax (but diverting to St John's).
I did manage a mere 24-ish hours in the back of a herc dead-heading back from Dar Es Salaam. Like the black hole of Calcutta I tells ya. Oh yeah, 2 hr stop in Akrotiri with no acces to the duty free shop - cheers plod
I need to get some time in!
Last edited by Confucius; 29th Jun 2006 at 13:12.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Gilligans Island
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The Oracle resupply straight into go home plot (with a twist):
Thumrait-Kabul-Thumrait, four hours on the ground then Thumrait-Akrotiri-Lyneham.
Now this was arduous enough,but once I had to do a double Thummers/Kabul run as the next bloke in the slip was in a tight holding pattern around the toilet block. So it turned into, with various delays for load etc., Thumrait to Kabul and return, another return trip to Kabul then Thumrait-Muscat-Akrotiri-Nice-Lyneham. 43 hours on the same aircraft.
I swear I will track down and choke the first person who says all you blokes do is sleep down the back hugging your toolbox anyway. There is only so much hammock time you can do without getting pressure sores!
Thumrait-Kabul-Thumrait, four hours on the ground then Thumrait-Akrotiri-Lyneham.
Now this was arduous enough,but once I had to do a double Thummers/Kabul run as the next bloke in the slip was in a tight holding pattern around the toilet block. So it turned into, with various delays for load etc., Thumrait to Kabul and return, another return trip to Kabul then Thumrait-Muscat-Akrotiri-Nice-Lyneham. 43 hours on the same aircraft.
I swear I will track down and choke the first person who says all you blokes do is sleep down the back hugging your toolbox anyway. There is only so much hammock time you can do without getting pressure sores!
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: 250 ft agl
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9 hours 40 minutes to Tacoma, Seattle from Brize in a Timmy (even longer than the many trips to Asi then Mount "not so" Pleasant. About 6 times what I get from my hoover jet now...
SMT
SMT
