Hi, I had a question. I am private pilot, and I was thinking about going into Airlines, but I have one question, and I am getting different answers from everyone. I want to how often to pilots stay away from home. I know, that major airlines give you more money, but can anyone tell me how often they stay away from home. I personally want to be home every night. Maximum one or two night away, but not more. My parents were away on different things when I was a child, I don't want that in my family. I want to be there with them. So can anyone give me some insight on the lives of pilots, major airline pilots. I heard that seniority does give you a chance to pick your schedule. But how confrtable is that schedule. Mostly I want to know, how often do pilot stay away from home, is it often or all the time, and how long are they away, and how does this situation differ when are you are a captain for a major airline for like 10 years. Thankyou.
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I am a pilot for a major airline. I've been at this particular airline for just over 8 years, others prior to that. I'll be gone away from home minimum of 18 days this month. Probably more like 20 days. That is on a narrowbody domestic reserve schedule.
Back before the major turmoil hit the industry I was a line holding wide body pilot flying international, I was gone on average between 12 and 15 days a month.
It really just depends on what airline you work for and how senior you are. Most of my buddies at South West fly three day trips. So they are gone like 12 days a month.
South West is an airline that seems to value their people and treat them like humans.
My airline like many of the majors just treats you like a number and has no regard WHAT SO EVER for your personal life.
I have a 5 year old and an 8 year old Last year was the first time that I was home for one of their birthdays. Come Christmas you can be sure to find me in some hotel eating out of a vending machine because everything is closed.
This job is not the most user friendly in regards to personal life.
On the other hand if you get on with a good outfit with decent schedules you'll find that while you won't have the exact days you need off all the time. You will have more days off than the average Joe which is very nice. And you'll have some longer blocks of days off allowing you to spend some serious time doing cool stuff with the family.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this job to anybody. It doesn't matter who you get hired by. They may be a shinning star promising you the moon today but give them time and they'll fall from grace. History repeats itself over and over.
Eastern
Pan AM
Braniff
TWA
(United for all intensive purposes)
Countless other airlines
They were all the place to be at one time. Unstoppable
Thanks for posting this. I am a private pilot with a good day job, but one that I am sometimes bored with. I know that becoming an airline pilot would be financial suicide, considering what I would have to give up, but I sometimes catch myself thinking that it would be worth it to do what I love. But I guess the grass is always greener on the other side. I hope someday to combine making my living with something aviation-related, but I guess I shouldn't quit my day job to be an airline pilot just yet!
Hi All, I am new here and have read these messages, and seems you must it very easy, I was an International trucker, trucking around Europe, before I retired and we used to be away away from home for 3 or 4 weeks sometimes I was away for 5 weeks, not that the company wanted you to be away that long, but it was the custom officers on the borders, so your 12 or 13 days is really easy time... Plus we had to put with the police, who were after an easy buck.... and had to try and keep to scedules, which wasn't kept very often..... Not trying to upset anyone but wanted to let you know that the airline industrie is not the only one that is hard work.....
The airline lifestyle is tough if you have a family. I commuted to Denver (by choice) for several years and it is tough. I was on a 5 on 3 off reserve schedule for a long time after 9/11 and was usually gone on average 21 days per month. I called home one night to check on everyone and my oldest son answered the phone and I didn't recognize his voice because it was beginning to change. That's when I told myself that enough was enough. I resigned a month later and have a great corporate job where I'm gone maybe a couple nights per month. I wouldn't go back to the airlines for anything. I do miss the guys and gals that I worked with and the nice equipment we flew, but that's all.
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