what pilots do when they are not flying?

[weiss]

Hello people,

I was always wondering what do pilots do when they are all done flying for a day.  I mean, is there any non-flying duties they are assigned to?  Briefing, de-briefing, pre flight checks - this is all understandable - anything else?  Like aircraft maintenance co-ordination or parts inventory maybe?  Another thing - I have heard a few times from F-18 pilots theres a lot of paperwork.  Is it really a lot? What kind of paperwork? 

I am still waiting for my security clearance, 18 months almost.  I wouldn't ask those silly questions but there is a question in interview preparation guide about pilots duties and I realise I have no answer.

Thanks beforehand for that incoming avalanche of related and thoughtful replies.

Weiss

 

[Loachman]

Other than work on their investment portfolios or skive of to the Mess to begin another night of debauchery as soon as the boss isn't looking??

Everybody on Squadron has at least one secondary duty, and these can vary from interesting and essential to tedious and nitnoid.

Air Cadet Liaison, Unit Emplaning Officer (organizing long-range deployments), Fire Warden, Flight Safety Officer, NBCW Officer, Sports Officer, Unit Information Officer are a few that come to mind. All of those come with paperwork.

Anything to do with aircraft maintenance is done by the maintenance organization, which will vary from one flying community to another.

 

[Calculator Jockey]

After working in a Squadron, I can tell you the pilots are extremely busy (they are not just flying the jets ~  perhaps one to two missions a day with perhaps only a couple of hours up in the air) Yes lots of work on the pre flight and post flight briefings. Some of them are at the Hangar before even the ground crew show up and leave way after everyone else has gone home (even noted in at work on the weekends too). They have positions like Ops O, SWAT O, Scheduling, and in a training Squadron they are instructors at the same time trying to do all their other duties plus keeping their flying hours up as well and maintain their own quals. They are constantly on TD away from their families, just like the army going away on exercise; same concept.

As for Fire Warden that was usually delegated to a NCO, Flight Safety Officer was an actual position as Ops O, etc., no such thing as Sports O (that is the Officer's Mess Committee and not part of the Sqn duties), Unit Information Officer is usually given to the Log O. But yes Air Cadet Liaison perhaps as noted a few of the pilots being sent out on various trips to the Cadet Units. As far as deployments are concerned, every exercise had an OPI and was given to one of the Captains to run with and usually was rotated through the pilots so that they would all have the experience of doing this.

I had the same questions too when I first got there, but after seeing what these men and women go through in a course of a day, a week, a month, I have a total new respect for what they do. 

Hopefully there are some fighter pilots (or perhaps some of the OJTs that have done time in a Fighter Sqn) in here that can chime in and really add to this thread. And I am sure this holds true with the Herc pilots, Tac Hel, etc. as well not just the Fighter community.

Just 0.02 cents from a clerk's point of view.

CJ

 

[Loachman]

I was speaking for Tac Hel.

The situation may vary between squadrons within our community, as well.

I'd agree that mission planning, briefing, and flying account for the bulk of the time, and NCOs have secondary duties too, but a lot of that has to do with overall personnel shortages.

And, yes, there's a lot of time away - everything from tents to hotels.

 

[flames9]

As a former AESop, been around the bus drivers.  Yep they put in long hours, especially the young pilots, always somethign to do with OJT (on the job training), secondary duties etc.  Someone has to order the extra pillows for Acoustics

 

[Freight_Train]

;D
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1596030407828373161&q=gold+bond

 

[GO!!!]

Wow, the guys that made that video sure are overworked with their secondary duties  :.

 

[bison33]

Hmmmm....they are complaining they are not flying

 

[career_radio-checker]

Hmmmm....they are complaining they are not flying

Well since the door is open to making fun of fly-boys I thought I'd bring back to life the best aviation joke I read from this forum.

>How can you tell a pilot is done talking about himself?
>
>
>He starts talking about his jet.  ;D

 

[GO!!!]

Well since the door is open to making fun of fly-boys I thought I'd bring back to life the best aviation joke I read from this forum.

>How can you tell a pilot is done talking about himself?
>
>
>He starts talking about his jet.  ;D

I heard one like that but the second line was;

"his vital signs are absent"

 

[Good2Golf]

Well since the door is open to making fun of fly-boys I thought I'd bring back to life the best aviation joke I read from this forum.

>How can you tell a pilot is done talking about himself?
>
>
>He starts talking about his jet.  ;D

Q: What's the difference between a fighter piilot and his jet?

A: The jet stops whining after it gets back to the hangar.    ;D

 

[23007]

-How do you know if there's a fighter pilot at a party?

-He'll tell you!

 

[aesop081]

Q: whats the difference between a pilot and a pig ?

A: You dont see the pig walking around drunk at 3am after the bar looking for a pilot.

 

[Rigger]

Now, the problem arises when we get to the air force. Were I to say the same thing to them....
they would get me a three year lease with an option to buy... enough said.

Or just lock it up and go home

 

[midget-boyd91]

What does a pilot do when he's not flying???

Well, he gets in his car and starts making propellor sounds swerving through traffic on the highway making machinegun sounds to the car ("bogey") in front of him on the way home. Once home he sits on the living room floor with a beer and his 2 year-old son's toy biplane doing the same thing as in the car.

 

[GO!!!]

And let's not forget topless volleyball, that's the official sport of pilots right.

Ah yes, pilots, who are devoted to the mission, unless it is hindered by rain, snow, darkness, maintenance, fridays, meal timings, crew rest, leave, mondays, cold, weekends, low ceiling, wind, loud noises, or, my personal favorite - flight safety.

I want to run the rest of the CF like we do the Air Force - it would sound a little like this;

OC - GO!!! I need a recce ptl to this GR to confirm a suspected taliban OP.

GO!!!- well sir, I'd love to, but that would entail me staying up more than 8 hours consecutively - which would necessitate 3 days off for me and my men immediately afterwards to return our circadian rhythyms to normal. Also, I noticed that there are no hotels on the objective, or any plan for rental SUVs - so I believe I would be remiss in my duties, because we would not be properly rested for the return trip. It would be unsafe for me to go any longer than 8 hours without sleep in a proper hotel. Additionally, I cannot work in any type of inclement weather, or at night, so the met rep is far more important than the mission sir!

 

[aesop081]

Ah yes, pilots, who are devoted to the mission, unless it is hindered by rain, snow, darkness, maintenance, fridays, meal timings, crew rest, leave, mondays, cold, weekends, low ceiling, wind, loud noises, or, my personal favorite - flight safety.

I want to run the rest of the CF like we do the Air Force - it would sound a little like this;

OC - GO!!! I need a recce ptl to this GR to confirm a suspected taliban OP.

GO!!!- well sir, I'd love to, but that would entail me staying up more than 8 hours consecutively - which would necessitate 3 days off for me and my men immediately afterwards to return our circadian rhythyms to normal. Also, I noticed that there are no hotels on the objective, or any plan for rental SUVs - so I believe I would be remiss in my duties, because we would not be properly rested for the return trip. It would be unsafe for me to go any longer than 8 hours without sleep in a proper hotel. Additionally, I cannot work in any type of inclement weather, or at night, so the met rep is far more important than the mission sir!

GO!!!

I realize that your experience with the AF has limited itself to only certain organizations...

So i will issue you this challenge.  PM me for unit details and i will personaly arrange a flight for you and you can show me where we dont fly for the reasons you mentioned above.  If we cancell for any of those reasons i will let you decide if it was a valid decison based on whatever criteria you think applies.  I will take you to the mission breif so you can see what the objective of the mission is and you can feel free to critique whatever decision our crew takes.

Fair enough ?

 

[cp140tech]

I don't know which flying unit you've spent your time with GO, but if you think the whole air force runs that way then you have a lot of learning to do.  The flight crews here spend long days flying in some pretty shitty weather; 10 hour flights performing work that leaves little to no room for error.  I've had the pleasure of spending a bit of time in the pilot's seat, it's not easy.

 

[3rd Horseman]

GO,

  I think you better bring an extra airsick bag....your being set up.....but it would be fun. Nothing like a whirly bird flight with a pilot trying to teach an army dude how tough it is in the air.

I must admit that CDN Aviator has a point, but I have also found that what GO has said has occurred throughtout my time. I have also seen the full up warrior pilot risk it all. I think they just have a great gig going and don't give it up too easily until the chips are down and then they show their stuff.

 

[HItorMiss]

He is likely talking more along the lines of certain Tac Hel groups, I have seen some dodgy call's myself from some of them...