Casual Working?

[Pontius Navigator]

Friday the new Saturday? Daily Telegraph
"CASUAL Fridays could be on the cards for the RAF after a director called for a change in its dress code that would allow officers to leave their uniforms at home on occasion."
In the 50s/60s the non - operational units used to have Wednesday afternoons as sports and Saturday morning work was a half day with 50% manning and officers in mufti. I don't think rankers were given that privilege. I know that early stack on a Friday was creeping in, Dining in nights moving to Thursdays. Only a matter of time before Friday stack is midday.
Akrotiri in the 70s used to work 7-15 6 days. Bomber Wing complained as they worked 6-24 so the station allowed Saturday work to cease but the station would work to 17 two days. We suggested Tue/Thu as long days. NEAF insisted Mon /Fri as they knew we would slope off Thursday nights.
Made no difference, fly late Thursday, disappear to Kyrenia, late flight Monday so drive back for midday. 4 nights a week off base

[Pontius Navigator]

However the military have been short changed on leave.
In 1960s and before, officers got 6 weeks leave and airmen 4 which was a bit off, but both got 3 x48s.

Civies at that time got two weeks. Gradually civilian holidays crept up to 4 weeks. Airman got parity with officers but the military leave advantage got frozen in time.

[boing]

Very soon Squadron Commanders will be Branch Managers and Air Marshals will be called CEOs.

.

[ian16th]

In my memory the '5 day week' was as a result of the Suez crises. 1956.

Until then we worked most Saturday morning, this included flying at BCBS Lindholme.
We had one '48' long weekend a month and the rest of the weekends we had a '36 hour pass' from 12:00 Saturday.

During my Boys Service parades and inspections were the norm on Saturdays, and on pre-Suez courses at Yatesbury, Saturday classes until 12:00 were the norm.

At Istres & Orange, where we had no a/c, but could get unexpected traffic at any time, we were on 'early' or 'late' shift every day, and standby alternate weekends and a quite long weekend, 13:00 Friday to 13:00 Monday, the other.

At Akrotiri, 1962-4, we in Tech Wing worked very relaxed hours! If my memory is correct, we worked Tue & Thur afternoons only in the winter. If it was KD season, it was too 'ot to work in our air conditioned gin palace, in the afternoon. Shades of the Raj.

[Alisoncc]

Do remember down the Gulf we had awfully long lunch breaks. Think they used to run from 11:00am to 3:00pm. We had a 7:00am start, and I think the working day ended about 6:00pm. A snooze after lunch was brilliant.

[Pontius Navigator]

Alison, that was late!

Most Sunshine Airways units used to stack at 1pm.

When Bomber Wing at Akrotiri went to 0700-1730 Monday and Friday with 0700-1300 Tue-Thu, one sqn observed these times. I was in the other sqn that did not believe in face time. We used to show at 0730, repair to the Mess at 0900 for a mail check and coffee. To the NAAFI shop to see what's new (nuffin) and back to the sqn about 1130 before lunch in the Mess at 1200. It were tough. If course we did work from time to time but 4-5 flights a month wasn't exactly arduous.