A/C Hours?
- Thread starter avro87
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Can you tell me a bit about flying the Griffon? How do you like flying it? I'm curious what your day to day life is since you're looking at around 250 hours a year? Do you usually fly every day? Where are you based, and do you work a lot with people in the army. Basically just curious what life in the CF as a helicopter pilot is like? Sorry for all the questions, just interested. Thanks very much!
He (cdnaviator)smells like an Aurora type. The mission names are a bit salty.
Crew on fixed wing ASW-Maratime Patrol aircraft fly longer missions than fighter or helicopter crews. I can't speak from experience as I didn't go that route but I would consider 10 to 12 hours would be a typical flight with transit time to and from the mission area done on autopilot and the mission itself involving hands on flying at low altitude over water.
In the transport role flights vary. Typically they would be from 2 to 15 hours. Anything from paradrops which are low and fast hands on flying to long range trips where the autopilot flys the aircraft.
In the helicopter world flights are typically shorter but tend to be more "intense" because they usually involve troop lifts over short distances, slinging equipment, hoisting personnel and other activities that are close up and hands on. A typical troop lift would depart from a helipad, insert troops into a clearing in the woods and return for more.
Search and rescue missions usually don't follow a specific plan and the crew are often very busy flying and developing a mission plan as the event unfolds.
Each type of flying requires the crews to have specific training and skills and that they know the role and organization of the other military units involved in the mission. It involves much more than the ability to fly the aircraft. That's one of the reasons that pilots often stay in a specific role for most or all of their careers. As they develop a good sense of their particular role they become involved in the planing of operations and developing new tactics and become a part of the the system that manages the operation.
It takes considerable knowledge of the whole operation to become a part of the team that runs it.
Crew on fixed wing ASW-Maratime Patrol aircraft fly longer missions than fighter or helicopter crews. I can't speak from experience as I didn't go that route but I would consider 10 to 12 hours would be a typical flight with transit time to and from the mission area done on autopilot and the mission itself involving hands on flying at low altitude over water.
In the transport role flights vary. Typically they would be from 2 to 15 hours. Anything from paradrops which are low and fast hands on flying to long range trips where the autopilot flys the aircraft.
In the helicopter world flights are typically shorter but tend to be more "intense" because they usually involve troop lifts over short distances, slinging equipment, hoisting personnel and other activities that are close up and hands on. A typical troop lift would depart from a helipad, insert troops into a clearing in the woods and return for more.
Search and rescue missions usually don't follow a specific plan and the crew are often very busy flying and developing a mission plan as the event unfolds.
Each type of flying requires the crews to have specific training and skills and that they know the role and organization of the other military units involved in the mission. It involves much more than the ability to fly the aircraft. That's one of the reasons that pilots often stay in a specific role for most or all of their careers. As they develop a good sense of their particular role they become involved in the planing of operations and developing new tactics and become a part of the the system that manages the operation.
It takes considerable knowledge of the whole operation to become a part of the team that runs it.
I won't go into mission specifics, but I can tell you that you don't fly every day. Typically 2-3 times a week, 5-6 times during busy periods. Flights range between 1-3 hrs, depending on the type. Schedules can be very inconsistant - in other words, one day you're working 8-4, next day, 6pm til 2am, so it can play with your internal rythms a bit (and sleeping patterns). It also makes things difficult, because quite often you are flying at the END of your work day, when you're the most tired - because typically a day is planned around your "crew day" - which is the allowable time, by regulations, that you are allowed to fly/work in a given day. A lot of times, you are working to the maximum allowable time, with mission planning taking up the majority, and then executing that plan at the very end, down to the minute that you are no longer legally allowed to fly.
Working with your customer involves actually flying them around, as well as liasion for mission planning. How often that happens depends on your customer, as well as your training requirements. Flying helos is very, very hands on. While there is an autopilot on the Griffon, the only time it is used is during long transits or IFR. The remainder is all hands and feet, day and night (on night vision goggles)
Working with your customer involves actually flying them around, as well as liasion for mission planning. How often that happens depends on your customer, as well as your training requirements. Flying helos is very, very hands on. While there is an autopilot on the Griffon, the only time it is used is during long transits or IFR. The remainder is all hands and feet, day and night (on night vision goggles)
A
aesop081
Guest
avro87 said:
Just noticed.......
RIMPAC , in Hawaii, is held every 2 years ....not annualy. next one is in 2008
In the transport world if you aren't scheduled to fly you are on days off. Because most flying is away from base and some trips are several days in duration you are either flying or off. Trips are usually scheduled weeks in advance with the exception of some unscheduled trips which come up on short notice.
A
aesop081
Guest
avro87 said:
Dont forget the CC-130 Hercules and soon our brand new C-17s
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Guys in the know will confirm that going to the airlines is not nearly as attractive (business case-wise) than in years past. Talk with a Big Red flyer and you'll be shocked at how little you get in the first years after making the hop. RJ/Emb FO's are not making huge money, and it takes a quite a while to grow the seniority to sit right seat on a 67 or 30/40, let alone get promoted to the left seat. Either you get out as soon as possilbe after you obligatory service or the numbers don't support a move nearly as much as lifestyle choice/change would.
G2G
G2G
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Astrodog said:
And then you are suddenly stuck in a simili communist company where you have no choice whatsoever on your schedule and so on.
Max
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