Ericmetallica From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 3937 times:
This is to all commercial pilots. I need your help and if you won't mind I was wondering what the life of a comercial pilot is. When are you or aren't you home, what is your family situation? etc. I am very serious about beeing a pilot and I am coming close to decission time in rather or not I will persure my dream. One of the things that i am worried about is having a family and beeing a pilot. Any info and/or advice would be GREATLY appreaciated (spelling?) and if you don't whant to share it on the forum feal free to e-mail me. Thankyou so much.
Me From United States of America, joined Oct 2000, 220 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 3903 times:
Not an easy question to answer.
Depending on my schedule I have off between 13-17 days a month, the days I work are spent away from home in a hotel.
For December I ended up with 12 days off beacuse I wanted to be sure to get Christmas off.
We typically fly the same sequence of trips week after week for a month. This month my sequence is:
Day 1 ATL-MLI-ATL-TOL (1pm till 10:30pm, hotel)
Day 2 TOL-ATL-MCO (5pm-12am, hotel)
Day 3 MCO-ATL-LGA-ATL (1pm-9:30pm, home)
Day 4 ATL-BOS-ATL (1pm-8pm, home)
Most airlines allow crewmembers to drop and trade trips to allow for more flexibility.
Lets say I had tickets for a show and I end up being scheduled to work on that day. I can offer to work a different trip in exchange for dropping the origional one. It doesn't always work out.
Many crewmembers don't live in the same city they are based in. I have friends living in DFW, MIA, RSW, BOS, etc. They must commute into Atlanta to start their trip and commute home after the trip. The airline allows its crewmembers unlimited free travel and they use it to get back and forth to work.
Flybulldog From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 362 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 3898 times:
AAR90 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 3324 posts, RR: 51 Reply 6, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 3863 times:
Much too complex to answer in this type forum. Try going to local airport and ask to make contact with airline pilots that frequent the place (I've talked with dozens of aspiring commercial pilots since it became known I was AA pilot).
How complex? Just a year ago I was #1 co-pilot getting my choice of monthly schedule, vacation, trips, changes to schedule, etc., etc., etc. Today I am #9 of 30 captains in my bid status. I get monthly choice #2-9 depending on how everybody senior bids, published schedule changes frequently with reassignments common (due to few pilots and few aircraft). Where I used to get 15-20 days off per month, I now see no lines with such opportunity.
OTOH the pay is excellent. So much so that the wife refuses to permit me to return to co-pilot position when AA retires the MD90.
*NO CARRIER* -- A Naval Aviator's worst nightmare!
De727ups From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 814 posts, RR: 17 Reply 8, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 3782 times:
One more for you Eric.
I'm a 727 F/O for UPS. As I write this I'm on a trip, laying over in DEN, and on a computer at the Aurora Library....guess I should break down and get a laptop.
Seniority is everything in the airline business and, with senority, you can have a decent home life. I'm only away from home 10 days a month but I've bypassed the captain upgrade to maintain my high senority in the seat (20 out of 160 as a 727 co-pilot). I could be making more money as a captain but lifestyle (being lazy) means more to me.
The divorce rate among pilots is much higher than average and I have chosen to remain single because it just makes things easier. Not to say it's impossible to be a pilot and be happily married....but you need an understanding and indepent spouse. I work with kids in my spare time so that sort of fulfills some of my "family" needs.
If you have any other questions feel free to e-mail me.....
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So much so that the wife refuses to permit me to return to co-pilot position when AA retires the MD90. 
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