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what the h??? is a flight hour?

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posted on Jan, 10 2005 @ 06:20 AM
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Go on can some one please tell me wht a flight hour is, is it the number of total available aircarft or the time they can spend in the air in a year or some thing else?


Air Force (53,620)
Flight Hours: Tornado 188, Harrier 218, Jaguar 215

www.fas.org...

Also any one got any idea how meny planes the RAF really has?



posted on Jan, 10 2005 @ 07:51 AM
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A flight hour is, as the name suggests, the number of hours of flight an aircraft (or aircrew) have logged. The numbers you have are probably for a year.

Check out the below link for numbers. Go to the main page for more info on the aircraft, SQNs etc.

www.raf.mod.uk...

Hope it helps.



posted on Jan, 10 2005 @ 07:53 AM
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Flight hours Im pretty sure referes to airframe time. Thats how they measure fatigue life. Commerical airlines also look at the number of pressurization cycles as well.



posted on Jan, 10 2005 @ 07:53 AM
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A flight hour is simply the amount of time spent in the air measured in hours.

However the figures quoted on the link make no sense and are not given in any kind of context so I can't figure out what its supposed to mean.

If the figures were say the total number of hours logged by each type in a year or the number of hours remaining in the fleet (logical uses of the 'flight hour' measurement) then they are very low. Its got me baffled I'm afraid.



posted on Jan, 10 2005 @ 07:57 AM
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waynos, i think the website was showing the number of hours logged per type? That may be a way or rting pilot training. As I recall in the Cope India exersize the IAF pilots had more flight hours for the year than the U.S. and that also may have played a role.



posted on Jan, 10 2005 @ 08:01 AM
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It would be an average for type. Tie in unservicabilities, deep level maintenance, shorter sorties for air defence fighters etc, then the numbers, as an average across the fleet, are about right.



posted on Jan, 10 2005 @ 08:03 AM
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Thats what I was thinking but for example 'Tornado - 188' works out at just over 1 hour per plane per year. I can't see that being right. Unless of course its an average across the fleet in which case each one would average about three and a half hours a week in the air, which sounds more plausible if still low.

ha ha, SNAP willard


[edit on 10-1-2005 by waynos]



posted on Jan, 10 2005 @ 08:09 AM
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Great minds think alike, huh Waynos


Flight hours for aircrew also are around these numbers. 150 - 200 hours is about standard for a fighter guy in a western air force.



posted on Jan, 10 2005 @ 08:11 AM
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Originally posted by waynos
course its an average across the fleet in which case each one would average about three and a half hours a week in the air, which sounds more plausible if still low.


Now it would seem about right if you ask me. Cost per hour of slight in say a F-15 or something is hideous so they may keep the numbers down. Another factor is fatigue life. If the JSF is delayed they may have to stretch out the life of thier exisitng planes. Many C-141's were flown from DS1 rioght to the bone yard cause they used up thier life in that conflict.



posted on Jan, 10 2005 @ 08:25 AM
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Yeah, it may be down a little on USAF/USN numbers. All those air frames are getting a little long in the tooth. Also, post Iraqi-Freedom (for the Tornado anyway) there was probably a need to "rest" some of the fleet. Eurofighter is coming on line soon as well, but until then, the need to ease fatigue exists.

For a standard flying year, say there is 45 weeks flying (holiday period, stand downs etc). That's 225 days flying (excluding weekends, no air force worth its salt flies on a weekend
). A SQN usually has 12 - 14 aircraft, aiming for 7 - 10 serviceable (in peace time). Rotating these through, and averaging the result, and the numbers do work out. Also, with Southern/Northern watch not occuring anymore, this could account for a drop if there has been one.







 
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