QOL

[faceof5]

So what's the quality of life like for the typical regional pilot?

How are people's relationships?

Time to pursue interests/hobbies?

You guys actually use your flight benfits or don't even want to travel after flying for a few days?

How many days does a regional pilots work a week?

[Alchemy]

QOL depends on your perspective.

I'm reasonably satisfied with mine.

I'm on reserve which means I get about 12 days per month off. The rest of the time I'm on call and I need to be within 2 hours of the airport, which is not a problem because I live about an hour away by car.

Of the 17-19 days per month that I'm on call I've been flying somewhere between 5 and 10 days (lately). On the days when I don't get called I'm free to do what I want as long as I have my phone on me and don't venture too far from my house (except drinking alcohol of course). My typical week involves 4 or 5 consectuive days of being on call followed by 2 or 3 days off.

For instance this week I have monday and tuesday off, and I'm on call wednesday through sunday. On wed-sun I'm "phone liable" 11:30 AM until 12:00 AM (midnight). Outside of those times I'm not obligated to answer my phone or be within 2 hrs of the airport.

All in all I've got a fair chunk of spare time. I've been taking up hobbies, finishing my degree, working out, spending time with friends....it's really not bad. If I had to commute to reserve somewhere I'd be singing a different tune though. They key is to live at or near your base.

I use my flight benefits very rarely. I'll take a short vacation ( < 1 week) maybe two or three times per year, about the same amount of traveling I'd be doing if I had a non-airline job. I have no desire to jaunt around the world solo....if my family or close friends are going on a trip I'll go too (if they invite me), and help them with their travel plans if I need to. Sometimes I can't stay at the destination as long as everyone else because I have to be back on call before the vacation ends. The beauty of jumpseating is that you can pretty much come and go as you please.

This is my QOL right now, but it can all change at the drop of a hat if my base closes or we suddenly become understaffed (in which case I could very well be flying every day I'm on call). At this point it looks like I will be on reserve indefinitely (at least another year or so). To be honest I'm not so sure I even want to hold a line, as I'd probably be working more. On the other hand I still need to gain flight time so that my resume looks good if a "worst case scenario" becomes reality.

The pay is not great, but no one should be surprised by what they makes since pilot payscales at almost every airline are public knowledge.

Hope this helps.

[zmiller4]

Originally Posted by faceof5

So what's the quality of life like for the typical regional pilot?

That depends on a lot of factors. Working for a good company as a line holder living in domicile is a world apart from commuting to reserve at a crappy airline.

How are people's relationships?

Also totally depends on the situation and people involved. It can be really hard on a relationship, but if you are smart about it and communicate constantly it can work.

Time to pursue interests/hobbies?

I definately have. If you try and work a lot, maybe not.

You guys actually use your flight benfits or don't even want to travel after flying for a few days?

I use them constantly.

How many days does a regional pilots work a week?

I've been averaging 18-19 days off the last 6 months. I'm senior enough in my domicile (which I commute to) that I generally work 3--sometimes 4--days a week, usually mon-wed or tue-thurs. I'll often have to commute in the night before, so I guess it's worked out to working 3.5 days/week. This month I hit the holy grail of the airline industry--I had an 85hr line with 18 days off that likely is becoming an 85hr line with 25 days off (I've been displaced off a 3-day trip and a 4-day trip so some other pilot can do their initial operating experience). It's a paid 2-week vacation. If I want to pick up a trip, I'll get paid for my original trip and the new one I pick up...but most likely I'll do something fun with the time off.

[pilot4500]

Originally Posted by zmiller4

That depends on a lot of factors. Working for a good company as a line holder living in domicile is a world apart from commuting to reserve at a crappy airline.



Also totally depends on the situation and people involved. It can be really hard on a relationship, but if you are smart about it and communicate constantly it can work.



I definately have. If you try and work a lot, maybe not.



I use them constantly.



I've been averaging 18-19 days off the last 6 months. I'm senior enough in my domicile (which I commute to) that I generally work 3--sometimes 4--days a week, usually mon-wed or tue-thurs. I'll often have to commute in the night before, so I guess it's worked out to working 3.5 days/week. This month I hit the holy grail of the airline industry--I had an 85hr line with 18 days off that likely is becoming an 85hr line with 25 days off (I've been displaced off a 3-day trip and a 4-day trip so some other pilot can do their initial operating experience). It's a paid 2-week vacation. If I want to pick up a trip, I'll get paid for my original trip and the new one I pick up...but most likely I'll do something fun with the time off.

I'm just curious, which regional do you work for?

[jtrain609]

Originally Posted by faceof5

So what's the quality of life like for the typical regional pilot?

That depends on the person, the regional and a bunch of other factors. Me? I'm commuting to a relief line from Salt Lake to Newark. It was bad commuting to reserve, that's for sure. Now I actually go to work and work instead of sitting around the crashpad. But then again, if I was based in Salt Lake with a company, I'd bid reserve and try to not go to work.

But even with how much it sucks commuting to reserve, I think it's better than living in a place that you hate. Some people can move anywhere they want and be happy as a clam. I've found I'm not that kind of person, and I'd rather live where I want and commute to work than spend my entire life in a place I hate. I've done that twice now and I'm not interested in doing it again.

How are people's relationships?

Again, it depends on the above factors and then just how people deal with the time apart. With this career, you'll spend time away from home if you want to work at an airline. Some folks deal with that fine, and some people don't. Me and my fiance do alright for the most part, though we've found if I'm gone more than about 4-5 days it starts to become kinda rough. Some folks, on the other hand, do fine with being away from home 18 days straight.

Time to pursue interests/hobbies?

I ski a lot on my time off, but it helps my fiance is a ski instructor and I live 20 minutes from 4 major resorts in Salt Lake, and 45 minutes away from another 4.

You guys actually use your flight benfits or don't even want to travel after flying for a few days?

I travel for a living, getting in an airplane when I get done with work is usually the last thing I want to do. With that being said, I think we're planning on trying to get to Europe in April.

How many days does a regional pilots work a week?

That depends on what you can hold and then what you want. Some guys want day trips, some guys like 2 day trips, some guys like 3 day trips, some guys like 4 day trips. My schedule looks something like this:

1 day off
4 day trip
3 days off
4 day trip
6 days off
4 day trip
4 days off

That's a pretty good schedule for me with all things being considered with how junior I am at my company. We'll see how things shake out over the next few months.

[faceof5]

That sounds like an awesome schedule.

Do you pay for a crashpad and how do you find one?

Also, how do you pick your schedules or are they assigned?

Thanks a lot guys?

[jtrain609]

My crashpad is an additional $250 a month, which I'm willing to pay because it's not in a part of Newark where I'll get shot at. They're pretty easy to find from talking with buddies.

You bid for your schedules and they are assigned in seniority order. I have a relief line, so I'm still kind of at the whim of scheduling. What you have to remember is I burn a full day off trying to get from Salt Lake to Newark. Living in base would mean more days off.