This is a long post but very informative.
Deployment rate with the war: We participate in the AEF cycle so it is very predictable. The AEF cycle is currently being modified. It used to be that we are at home for 12 months and then we deploy for 3 months. That is what I just got done with. We were deployed from April-June 2004. Prior to that (last year) we were "on call" to deploy because the initial war was kicking off but then Turkey said no troops in our country and so we stayed in Aviano and watched everything from CNN. They have modified the AEF cycle a little. Now we are at home for 16 months and we deploy for 4 months. So it's a 20 month cycle instead of the old 15 month cycle. We do not deploy outside our cycle so you know exactly when you'll go to the desert every year. However, we still go on training TDY's, so we aren't necessarily "home" for 15 months straight. But we go to some cool places. In my 3 years at Aviano I've gone to Maple Flag, Canada; shot AIM-120s at Tyndal WSEP; spent 2 months in Sardinia, Italy and got to fly a German F-4; flew a Mig-21 during a 1 week trip to Croatia; spent 2 weeks in Konya, Turkey; 2 Red Flags; 2 weeks in Lakenheath, England; 2 weeks in Zaragosa, Spain; 1 week 24 hour patrol CAP over Prague (while the presidents were meeting); and a few other small trips.
How do you like Europe and the bases: Europe is great because we can go on really cool trips to places that other Viper bases can't (like I mentioned above). The traveling opportunity is sweet. The single guys go on lots of trips (Moscow, St Petersberg, Poland, Pampalona Spain, etc...). My wife and I have visited Scotland, French Riviera, Oktoberfest at Munich, Croatia coast, Austria in the Winter and Summer, skiing on Mannerhorn in Switzerland, Salzburg, Cinque Terra, Florence, Rome. And we didn't travel as much as some couples managed to do.
Typical Day flying:
Show up about 1 hour prior to Mass Brief (unless I need to do more mission planning). Mass Brief is 2.5 hours prior to takeoff. We brief for about an hour. Step, Start, Taxi, Arm Up takes about an hour. Most local sorties are between 1.0 and 1.5 hours. After landing is about 30 min. Tape assessment is about 45 min. Then debried can last 1-3 hours. If it's an upgrade ride then it will be longer. A CT debried can be real short.
Then you have to see if you're flying the next day. If so then you need to start mission planning for the next day. So the flying part takes about 6-9 hours + the mission planning time (0.5 - 2.0 hours). These are average times and usually you can cut down on a lot of it if you're smart about time management. In addition to the flying duties you try to squeeze in some non-flying duties (email, etc...) so that you stay on top of stuff.
Typical Day not flying:
Depends on your job. I started out as a scheduler and it wasn't too bad but some people hate to be schedulers. Other shops include Training, Weapons, Stan/Eval, Mobility, Life Support, Safety. And if you're a LT then you'll have SNACKO responsibilities (snack bar, party planning, cleanup, beer purchasing, squadron cleanup, etc...). If I'm not flying then I'll usually spend about 8-10 hours at work. I shoot for 8 hours but sometimes you get real-time tasking and you have to complete small jobs before you can leave so you find yourself leaving at about the 10 hour mark. The only time I stay longer than 10 hours is if I also have to fly that day OR if I'm double or triple turning (2 or 3 sorties in one day) and of course those are going to be long days. Non-Flying duties usually involve lots of email, paper pushing, reading and adhering to Regs, studying for an upgrade or for self improvement, attending academics, etc... I could get real specific into the jobs of each Shop but I'm not sure if that's what you want.
If someone tells you that they hate flying fighters because they barely fly and spend 12+ hours at work 6 days a week then my response to that is they need to get better time management. I definately do not neglect my life outside flying so I make it a priority to NOT do work at home and to NOT do work on a weekend. There are very rare exceptions to this (such as upgrade rides that I need to prepare) but I am definately satisfied with the fighter lifestyle. The one caveot, I think it is fairly high-paced so I seldom have time to just vegitate in front of the TV or do other things that waste time but are relaxing. I do, however, have time to workout at least 4+ times a week, go camping or rock climbing on the weekends, watch a movie every once in a while, leave work at 3 and go down to the beach for the afternoon, read magazines or books for fun, plus other random hobbies. There are some people who don't have a life outside of flying but I'm definately not one of them. It's all about prioritizing.
Hope this answers the rest of your questions. I tried to be as detailed as I thought necessary.
[ 13. October 2004, 05:46: Message edited by: Toro ]
