Assuming they ONLY work an 8 hour day, seven days a week, the average E-4 is making $8.92/hr for being responsible for a $55.2M F/A-18 E/F…
A brown shirt is a plane captain, e.g. responsible for care/feeding of the acft when the pilot isn’t flying it. He cleans it, makes sure it’s full of oil, fuel and hydraulic fluid, makes sure the weapons get loaded, make sure the maintainers fixed all the gripes, and does this day after day.
WHEN does a plane captain work an 8 hour day? Like – never. If you can get it done in 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, you’re Superman.
Hardly anyone in the military only works an 8-hour day … and yes, I know I’m preaching to the choir.
These “Fight for $15” protestors are going to find themselves working only 28 hours/week, assuming they have jobs in the first place. Then they’ll demand that the gov’t require the employers to provide full-time employment.
We need to pay those guys more.
LL- I know… back in 197mumble, we were HAPPY to only work a 12 hour day… Three turns per day kinda kept you busy.
Rev- Yeah, you got it!
CM- Yep, THEY actually deserve the $15/hr… sigh When I came in I made a whopping $152/mo…
Isn’t a plane captain a supervisory sort of job as well?
Even with the long hours isn’t he mother-henning a group of E1-E3 working on his plane?
That’s worth even more bucks! He’s a MANAGER!
As NFO knows, combine PC and Crew Chief for a long day. If you’re not flying it, you’re fixing it. Then you fly it again. Typical day:a 1 1/2 hour Daily, 2 or 3 1/2 hour turnarounds, 2 or 3 45 minute briefs, at least 6 hours in the air. The bird comes back with a down gripe, another 2+ hours to get it up. Missed water hours again, chow hall secured, Maintenance Control ran out of box lunches, the Geedunk hasn’t opened since our 8th day at sea. And the Career Planner left a message to see him. Gotta love it!
On watch for Six and Six works out to a easy 12 hour day. Oops I forgot about un-reps, vert-reps, DC drills, regular work that has to be done and on and on.
One felt real good when you could add up your non-consecutive hours of sleep per day and get 5.
That is an AWESOME comparison!
McThag- Yep…
Don- EXACTLY… We’ve both been there… 🙂
Jon- True…
ADM- Isn’t thought 😀
That boy is slacking! Where are the other 3 tie-downs needed for a 9 point restraint? Or do they only use 6 now?
I can remember launching my bird, picking up all nine chains and latches and two chocks and making a beeline for the nearest catwalk where you would jump down, still covered in the gear and knock off and hour of snooze time. All this with Big assed jets screaming right over your head waiting to launch! And all that gear weighed more than I did, ahhh, back then i.e..
OBTW, just finished reading “The Grey Man”. It was an outstanding read. What’s in the oven? Sequel?
Ev- I ‘think’ they’ve gone to 6 points unless rigging for heavy weather… Yep, working on #2… slowly… 🙂
I can’t remember anytime I worked anything close to an 8 hour day when aircraft were involved. 12 was considered the short shift.
Our troops deserve more money and better VA care.
The other mooks can go pound sand
Brigid- Yep, and THAT was on a good day…
Rick- Concur!
The professionalism of our young people in uniform overwhelms me. When I was his age I was more concerned with getting my cylinder heads ported correctly, and my chassis set up done right.
Hats off to all our service men and women!