So Flyboy:
What are your work hours like?
I've been lead to believe that the "regional lifestyle" is long days of short hops, and plenty of nights away from homes, and a bit too frequent instances of flying while fatigued.
I personally recall a seeing the same pilot on a 6:00 AM and and 8:00 PM flight after a whirlwind trip....and I recall being fatigued even though I didn't spend the day sitting in a nasty, cramped, loud turboprop or ops area like they did.
This seems to be a fairly stark contrast with what some of the mega-veterans do....I seem to recall ITS saying he sometimes makes two flights a month, and some of the Flying and AOPA Pilot ATPS writing about over-seas runs, where their biological clocks were a bit messed up, but they got nap times and again, maybe two flights/month.
Flyboy's work hours
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Flyboy's work hours
Commercial Pilot, Vandelay Industries, Inc., Plant Nutrient Division.
- flyboy2548m
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Re: Flyboy's work hours
Ah yes, the age-old question of schedules, duty rigs, days-off etc. Truly I say to you there is a reason why this issue is usually at least as contentious, if not more so, as compensation during contract talks. As a wise man once told me "It's all about time off and chicken sandwiches".So Flyboy:
What are your work hours like?
I've been lead to believe that the "regional lifestyle" is long days of short hops, and plenty of nights away from homes, and a bit too frequent instances of flying while fatigued.
On the one hand, a pilot can work as little or as much as he/she wants. Once you're off reserve (as I am), you can drop trips, trade trips, etc etc, so it's entirely possible to do only two trips per month.
On the other hand, if you're like me and need the money and the hours, you work quite a bit more. Now, I bid 4-day trips and end up with 4 of them per month. This nets me between 85-95 hours of pay credit and between 13-15 days off. Doesn't sound too bad, does it? Well, here's the rest of the story. I seldom get more than 4 days off in a row. Sometimes I only get one day between trips, which means I can't make it home and end up staying at the crashpad. Also, I can't hold weekends off to save my life, unless I go back on reserve, which I don't want to do. What's improved of late with me getting a little more senior is that I've been getting trips that are more commutable, meaning I can go to work the day the trip starts without having to come in the night before, which is nice.
And yes, most days we fly 4 legs, sometimes 5. And yes, it is tiring. This is the best job in the world, but certainly not the easiest life.
"Lav sinks on 737 Max are too small"
-TeeVee, one of America's finest legal minds.
-TeeVee, one of America's finest legal minds.
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Re: Flyboy's work hours
So what are the crashpads like, and how much does that cost you? I assume that other pilots and yourself divvy up a monthly fee?
- flyboy2548m
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Re: Flyboy's work hours
Crashpads tend to run the whole range from complete dives with hot bunking to pretty nice houses where you get your own bed or even a whole room. Rent also varies widely, in JFK area you can start from about $125/mo all the way to almost $400/mo, depending on how much of a primadonna you are.So what are the crashpads like, and how much does that cost you? I assume that other pilots and yourself divvy up a monthly fee?
"Lav sinks on 737 Max are too small"
-TeeVee, one of America's finest legal minds.
-TeeVee, one of America's finest legal minds.
- Half Bottle
- Posts: 2012
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:39 pm
Re: Flyboy's work hours
Two questions:Crashpads tend to run the whole range from complete dives with hot bunking to pretty nice houses where you get your own bed or even a whole room. Rent also varies widely, in JFK area you can start from about $125/mo all the way to almost $400/mo, depending on how much of a primadonna you are.So what are the crashpads like, and how much does that cost you? I assume that other pilots and yourself divvy up a monthly fee?
1) What is hot bunking?
2) Does your crashpad have a hot tub?
~~~ In Oxford Town, you smell like dead lab rats. ~~~
- flyboy2548m
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- Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:32 am
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Re: Flyboy's work hours
1) Hot bunking is when a bed is used by more than one person during the month. (fresh sheets are usually provided).1) What is hot bunking?
2) Does your crashpad have a hot tub?
2) No.
"Lav sinks on 737 Max are too small"
-TeeVee, one of America's finest legal minds.
-TeeVee, one of America's finest legal minds.
- Half Bottle
- Posts: 2012
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:39 pm
Re: Flyboy's work hours
In places that use hot bunking is it first-come, first-served (such that you could end up sleeping on the floor sometimes) or do those sharing the place generally keep some kind of sign-up sheet?
~~~ In Oxford Town, you smell like dead lab rats. ~~~
- flyboy2548m
- Posts: 4391
- Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:32 am
- Location: Ormond Beach, FL
Re: Flyboy's work hours
There's usually some kind of a schedule, yes. I personally haven't had to do that, I imagine it would suck, with or without a schedule.In places that use hot bunking is it first-come, first-served (such that you could end up sleeping on the floor sometimes) or do those sharing the place generally keep some kind of sign-up sheet?
"Lav sinks on 737 Max are too small"
-TeeVee, one of America's finest legal minds.
-TeeVee, one of America's finest legal minds.
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