  We present an investigation of a large sample of confirmed (N=233) and
candidate (N=54) Galactic classical Be stars (mean V magnitude range of 6.4 to
12.6 mag), with the main aim of characterizing their photometric variability.
Our sample stars were preselected among early-type variables using light curve
morphology criteria. Spectroscopic information was gleaned from the literature,
and archival and newly-acquired spectra. Photometric variability was analyzed
using archival ASAS-3 time series data. To enable a comparison of results, we
have largely adopted the methodology of Labadie-Bartz et al. (2017), who
carried out a similar investigation based on KELT data. Complex photometric
variations were established in most stars: outbursts on different time-scales
(in 73$\pm$5% of stars), long-term variations (36$\pm$6%), periodic variations
on intermediate time-scales (1$\pm$1%) and short-term periodic variations
(6$\pm$3%). 24$\pm$6% of the outbursting stars exhibit (semi)periodic
outbursts. We close the apparent void of rare outbursters reported by
Labadie-Bartz et al. (2017) and show that Be stars with infrequent outbursts
are not rare. While we do not find a significant difference in the percentage
of stars showing outbursts among early-type, mid-type and late-type Be stars,
we show that early-type Be stars exhibit much more frequent outbursts. We have
measured rising and falling times for well-covered and well-defined outbursts.
Nearly all outburst events are characterized by falling times that exceed the
rising times. No differences were found between early-, mid- and late-type
stars; a single non-linear function adequately describes the ratio of falling
time to rising time across all spectral subtypes, with the ratio being larger
for short events.
