Frequent flyer ... Warrant Officer David Jones.

WARRANT Officer David Jones may not have racked up lots of frequent flyer points or travelled first class all the way but he has recently achieved a milestone the envy of many aircrew.

As a Flight Engineer with No. 92 Wing at RAAF Base Edinburgh, WOFF Jones has accumulated 8736 hours of flight time on many different aircraft including P-3s, C130s and HS-748s.

While it may not seem a lot, these flying hours equate to 365 days or 524,160 minutes or 31,449, 600 seconds continual time in the air.

"You don't really think of the flying hours when you're doing your job, but I was surprised at the amount of time I've clocked up in the air over the years," WOFF Jones said.

He joined the Air Force in June 1971 and since that time has been involved in many exercises and operations.

As a Flight Engineer he has also travelled to places some of us would only dream of going to, including Japan, the UK, Hawaii, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Hong Kong, Mauritius and New Zealand.

"The enjoyment of flying and working with some of the most professional people in aviation, both in the air and on the ground, has been a real positive of being in the Air Force," he said.

"When the day comes to hang up my headset I will miss the challenges and rewards which the job has provided. I will also miss the pleasure of working with a crew to achieve a goal."

Flight Lieutenant Graham Black, the Operations Officer at No. 92 Wing and WOFF Jones' supervisor, said the number of flying hours the Flight Engineer had accrued was "a rare achievement, even for aircrew".

"His name precedes him in the aircrew world and his peers and colleagues think very highly of him," FLTLT Black said.

No. 92 Wing personnel look to WOFF Jones as a father figure because of his knowledge, amicable nature and willingness to assist in any matter. He is the type of person that has always "dug in" to get the job done.

"If you're not happy doing the job yourself then nobody else will be either," WOFF Jones said.

When not notching up hours in his role with the Air Force, he likes to spend his time improving his golf handicap, catching plenty of fish and tending to the garden.

bu CPL Mark Eaton