OOA Tour Lengths

[Robby]

A strange question after all the discussion on this site about 4 month and 6 month OOA tours, but why do our Flying Sqn's only do 2 months in theatre? I have just seen that 617 Sqn have returned after a 'busy 2 month tour' in the sand, but surely the RAF do 4 months OOA! (full respect to the RAF Regiment who do 6 month OOA's as a formed Unit) DT_Xtremez_30: In two months they have time to arrive, unpack, find their way round the Unit, Take over the inventories and then they have to start packing up again!

We all moan about the amount of pre det Preps and nause but surely a 4 month OOA for a formed unit would reduce this paperwork and allow less disruption to Sqn's as the turnaround would be less often? I know we did this for years in Turkey and Saudi but surely it should be looked at given the reducing operational flying Sqn No.s?

I am sure someone out in the big wide world knows why but having been on the end of 'part time' jibes from our Army colleagues after completing a 4 month OOA, I can only imagine what they must think of our Flying Sqns

Any thoughts?

 

[MontyPlumbs]

A strange question after all the discussion on this site about 4 month and 6 month OOA tours, but why do our Flying Sqn's only do 2 months in theatre? I have just seen that 617 Sqn have returned after a 'busy 2 month tour' in the sand, but surely the RAF do 4 months OOA! (full respect to the RAF Regiment who do 6 month OOA's as a formed Unit) DT_Xtremez_30: In two months they have time to arrive, unpack, find their way round the Unit, Take over the inventories and then they have to start packing up again!

We all moan about the amount of pre det Preps and nause but surely a 4 month OOA for a formed unit would reduce this paperwork and allow less disruption to Sqn's as the turnaround would be less often? I know we did this for years in Turkey and Saudi but surely it should be looked at given the reducing operational flying Sqn No.s?

I am sure someone out in the big wide world knows why but having been on the end of 'part time' jibes from our Army colleagues after completing a 4 month OOA, I can only imagine what they must think of our Flying Sqns

Any thoughts?

I'm pretty sure Harrier sqns do 4 monthers mate.

 

[Roobsta]

The tonks have only been doing 2 months in the sand every 14 months for the last several years as there are 7 sqns of them - but in my first 3 years on a tonk Sqn I was out of the country between 6 and 8 months on det. The harrier boys had it worse as there were less Sqns. It's all about to change soon. Keep reading the works t'internet to find out more.

 

[Cooheed]

It's obvious innit.. Who's going to do their manicures and pedicures if they were forced to stay for a 4 monther?? DT_Xtremez_19:

 

[rest have risen above me]

Its to do with R+R and having a whole sqn entitled and that burden not being able to be borne by the sqn because of its size.

The lack of a decent pedicurist has nothing to do with it::

 

[MontyPlumbs]

Its to do with R+R and having a whole sqn entitled and that burden not being able to be borne by the sqn because of its size.

The lack of a decent pedicurist has nothing to do with it::

I think the way the leaping heaps do it is half the sqn for 2 months and the other half for the other 2 months. Not sure if that would work on the swing wing dagger of death though?

 

[Ghandi's Flip-Flop]

Probably not almost the whole squadron goes for those 2 months, the size of any rear party is minimal. Look's as as if the stints will be increasing to 3 months in each theatre one the Tonka goes dual ops early next year.

 

[shoutingwind]

you fast and pointy boys have it easy!

the mighty herc are always always (and i mean every single days since god knows when) and now the K's are too poorly to shoulder much of the flying Us Js are doing all the work. still i've been lucky this year, only 6 months away...

Not that i'm saying fast and pointys aren't doing a good job, because they are, i'm just griping because we don't have anyone to share the burden with

 

[sinnick]

Less squadrons....even less groundcrew.

Less squadrons....even less groundcrew.

you fast and pointy boys have it easy!

the mighty herc are always always (and i mean every single days since god knows when) and now the K's are too poorly to shoulder much of the flying Us Js are doing all the work. still i've been lucky this year, only 6 months away...

Not that i'm saying fast and pointys aren't doing a good job, because they are, i'm just griping because we don't have anyone to share the burden with

neither will any of us when the twots who insist on de-badging the groundcrew get their way....24/30...47/70....18/27(exces)....28/78(MFES), all have aircrew own their own right....the tonka boys are lucky to have not been forced down the muted 9/31...2/13...12/14 route....only 617 are sacred methinks !! get all the squadrons with independent groundcrew again and ther burden will be shared fairly. rant over....!!!

 

[enginesuck]

Probably due to the fact that the intensity of the work the air/ground crews is such that any longer is not sustainable. 24 hour shifts cannot work for more than eight weeks. Its a flight safety thing. Plus the fact that as TG1 we are special and deserve preferential treatment because we tried hard at school and we are just all round amazing people.

 

[billy bollox]

A strange question after all the discussion on this site about 4 month and 6 month OOA tours, but why do our Flying Sqn's only do 2 months in theatre? I have just seen that 617 Sqn have returned after a 'busy 2 month tour' in the sand, but surely the RAF do 4 months OOA! (full respect to the RAF Regiment who do 6 month OOA's as a formed Unit) DT_Xtremez_30: In two months they have time to arrive, unpack, find their way round the Unit, Take over the inventories and then they have to start packing up again!

We all moan about the amount of pre det Preps and nause but surely a 4 month OOA for a formed unit would reduce this paperwork and allow less disruption to Sqn's as the turnaround would be less often? I know we did this for years in Turkey and Saudi but surely it should be looked at given the reducing operational flying Sqn No.s?

I am sure someone out in the big wide world knows why but having been on the end of 'part time' jibes from our Army colleagues after completing a 4 month OOA, I can only imagine what they must think of our Flying Sqns

Any thoughts?

Because of the complex nature of the job, other dets and training courses, Aircrew authorisations etc etc. That is one reason why its only 2 months. Also to make it 4 months would mean a longer TRT so giving more people up for DWR. This would mean a lack of continuity on Sqn's.
Plus as said before several times, we did our hard work at school so deserve a restDT_Xtremez_14:

 

[Realist78]

neither will any of us when the twots who insist on de-badging the groundcrew get their way....24/30...47/70....18/27(exces)....28/78(MFES), all have aircrew own their own right....the tonka boys are lucky to have not been forced down the muted 9/31...2/13...12/14 route....only 617 are sacred methinks !! get all the squadrons with independent groundcrew again and ther burden will be shared fairly. rant over....!!!

The debadging has been on the cards for Tonka north for a couple of years, one long line etc , centralised maintenance (yes, first line), it hasn't made it yet but...::

 

[Tashy_Man]

The debadging has been on the cards for Tonka north for a couple of years, one long line etc , centralised maintenance (yes, first line), it hasn't made it yet but...::

Well "super-sqn" was only averted by a whisker a few years ago......from what I hear it could be the only answer to keep going up here ?

Crack on.....................DT_Xtremez_09:

 

[Forestfan]

The debadging has been on the cards for Tonka north for a couple of years, one long line etc , centralised maintenance (yes, first line), it hasn't made it yet but...::

Whilst at the Deid last year, when asked about the squadron groundcrew position a VSO said to me that it doesn't have the support of the big cheeses and there wasn't a desire to make it happen. Read into that what you will.

Hercs have always been centralised as have Nimrods except for 42 when at St Mawgan; as for the SH force, is it a sign of transition to becoming part of the AAC, then EXCES and MFES become X Regiment Workshops REME? Seems to me the underhand long-term plan is to put all SH into the hands of the pongoes....but it's been a while since I was SH so I could be wrong!

 

[rest have risen above me]

Whilst at the Deid last year, when asked about the squadron groundcrew position a VSO said to me that it doesn't have the support of the big cheeses and there wasn't a desire to make it happen. Read into that what you will.

Hercs have always been centralised as have Nimrods except for 42 when at St Mawgan; as for the SH force, is it a sign of transition to becoming part of the AAC, then EXCES and MFES become X Regiment Workshops REME? Seems to me the underhand long-term plan is to put all SH into the hands of the pongoes....but it's been a while since I was SH so I could be wrong!

Let them have it. I hated the SH world.:S