Why I Left an Airline Pilot Career

[Autothrust Blue]

It's fine that you're not an outgoing person who makes the time pass by faster with conversation. I'm guessing that just like the last guy I was paired with I would have sorted out the fact you're an introvert before we land at the destination. There's no need for the awkward conversation in the elevator. I already know. I could tell that my last pairing didn't like to interact with people when 2 hours goes by with nothing said. Just know that if your FO or CA is an extravert they are probably screaming internally the entire time you're at cruise. Think about it. You're only not fun to be around and don't want to interact when you're done with flying?

Please. People can convince themselves of anything I guess.

I personally don’t enjoy it when people fill the air on the flight deck when there’s no real reason for jaw-flapping. I don’t mind hashing out my background (I do live close to the airport, I do indeed like stuff, please don’t ask me what I think about CBA ‘18 because I bet I’ve thought about it before breakfast more than you have today my guns! my money! Or whatever), shooting the normal shop poop, or having reasonably meaningful conversation.

But if you’re just talking to fill the air, and some people do and it’s just awful, it wears me out—and makes me less inclined to want to subject myself to more of it on layover and go for one of those big long walks I try to take everyday. I guess some people, too, despite the tedious nature of the job, never really learn to handle the tedium, and compensate by bloviating. Which isn’t exactly an antonym of introversion or symptomatic of extraversion, but it seems to me to be at least somewhat that way. Talking about nothing is exhausting.

 

[GypsyPilot]

Lol. Sure. Tell me more about my personality.

There’s a huge difference between “you’re an ass bag and I don’t want to hang out” and “we just had a 20 hour duty day together. Let’s catch up tomorrow.”

Agreed. Some guys are WAY too insecure with themselves and can’t handle being alone for 10 mins. If I’m flying with some dude all week, I’m getting some alone time. I don’t want to hear the same old BS for the entire trip.

Now if there’s some type of adventure we can do, that’s different. I’ve gone karting, hiking, biking, and even dirt biking with crews. Always down for that. But dinner and drinks after already hanging for 10+ hours? Nah, I’m good.

 

[JordanD]

If you're going to be like that at least let me watch Netflix. Win/win for both of us.

Meh. "If you aren't going to be my court jester at least let me violate SOP." Drove me crazy the amount of times I'd have to tell FOs "yeah, you know they can see when you do that stuff, right?" and how hard that'd be to have to explain if something happened. Smart phones and instant gratification have really ruined people's ability to just sit there and be bored. Sure there's an extreme introvert type that's not fun to fly with, but meh. If I saw them again I'd just swap the trip.

 

[GypsyPilot]

"Job description: Entertain the other guy for 6 hours."

Yes, exactly. Usually some MAJOR insecurity going on with those dudes.

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

I personally don’t enjoy it when people fill the air on the flight deck when there’s no real reason for jaw-flapping. I don’t mind hashing out my background (I do live close to the airport, I do indeed like stuff, please don’t ask me what I think about CBA ‘18 because I bet I’ve thought about it before breakfast more than you have today my guns! my money! Or whatever), shooting the normal shop poop, or having reasonably meaningful conversation.

But if you’re just talking to fill the air, and some people do and it’s just awful, it wears me out—and makes me less inclined to want to subject myself to more of it on layover and go for one of those big long walks I try to take everyday. I guess some people, too, despite the tedious nature of the job, never really learn to handle the tedium, and compensate by bloviating. Which isn’t exactly an antonym of introversion or symptomatic of extraversion, but it seems to me to be at least somewhat that way. Talking about nothing is exhausting.

That's fair. One shouldn't have to specify normal conversations. Like when people don't want to chat anymore at a dinner party. But yeah pilots. So here we are.

 

[JordanD]

Agreed. Some guys are WAY too insecure with themselves and can’t handle being alone for 10 mins. If I’m flying with some dude all week, I’m getting some alone time. I don’t want to hear the same old BS for the entire trip.

Now if there’s some type of adventure we can do, that’s different. I’ve gone karting, hiking, biking, and even dirt biking with crews. Always down for that. But dinner and drinks after already hanging for 10+ hours? Nah, I’m good.

Can depend on the crew, when I was based in a smaller base there's a lot of people I flew with I'd consider friends and didn't mind hanging out with, but if anyone wasn't feeling it nobody took it personally. One of the best parts for me about getting older is not caring if the other person thinks I'm boring or not. I like flying with people and having a mutual "nice flying with you" at the end of the trip and meaning it, but if they don't feel like I'm an awesome guy at the end of the trip I don't take it personally.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Smart phones and instant gratification have really ruined people's ability to just sit there and be bored.

FL350 is a wonderful place to sit and contemplate mysteries of the universe and of mankind.

I fly, like Saint Exupery, to release my mind from the tyranny of petty things.

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

Meh. "If you aren't going to be my court jester at least let me violate SOP." Drove me crazy the amount of times I'd have to tell FOs "yeah, you know they can see when you do that stuff, right?" and how hard that'd be to have to explain if something happened. Smart phones and instant gratification have really ruined people's ability to just sit there and be bored. Sure there's an extreme introvert type that's not fun to fly with, but meh. If I saw them again I'd just swap the trip.

I have a feeling the trip swapping isn't entirely one sided when it comes to you. I mean can we at least agree there is some kind of happy medium between hours of unending silence and jaw flapping? Or is the entire world black and white for the JCers?

 

[JordanD]

That's fair. One shouldn't have to specify normal conversations. Like when people don't want to chat anymore at a dinner party. But yeah pilots. So here we are.

I loved on the longer flights or halfway through day 4 when the conversation just kind of mutually died down a little bit. Was kind of a good understanding of "we're both tired, want to go home, and we've talked about most of what there is to talk about." It's kind of nice being comfortable in silence.

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

I loved on the longer flights or halfway through day 4 when the conversation just kind of mutually died down a little bit. Was kind of a good understanding of "we're both tired, want to go home, and we've talked about most of what there is to talk about." It's kind of nice being comfortable in silence.

But gasp. You actually did talk to other humans? I'm amazed.

 

[JordanD]

I have a feeling the trip swapping isn't entirely one sided when it comes to you. I mean can we at least agree there is some kind of happy medium between hours of unending silence and jaw flapping? Or is the entire world black and white for the JCers?

Yeah, it's a mystery people don't want to hang out with you.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

It's fine that you're not an outgoing person who makes the time pass by faster with conversation. I'm guessing that just like the last guy I was paired with I would have sorted out the fact you're an introvert before we land at the destination. There's no need for the awkward conversation in the elevator. I already know. I could tell that my last pairing didn't like to interact with people when 2 hours goes by with nothing said. Just know that if your FO or CA is an extravert they are probably screaming internally the entire time you're at cruise. Think about it. You're only not fun to be around and don't want to interact when you're done with flying?

Please. People can convince themselves of anything I guess.

I absolutely am an outgoing person. You don’t understand introverts. Based on your posts on here, that’s not entirely surprising.

I’ll be as social as you want to be at work. I’m even so professional that 90% of the people I work with don’t even know which way I lean politically at the end of a trip. I just don’t want to go out to chili’s with you after work. Somehow that hurts your feels?

 

[milleR]

Insecure people tend to be the most uncomfortable with silence and time to think quietly.

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

I absolutely am an outgoing person. You don’t understand introverts. Based on your posts on here, that’s not entirely surprising.

I’ll be as social as you want to be at work. I’m even so professional that 90% of the people I work with don’t even know which way I lean politically at the end of a trip. I just don’t want to go out to chili’s with you after work. Somehow that hurts your feels?

Does not. I've never met a unicorn before but maybe one day I'll have the privilege. I don't talk politics either because honestly it's like having a discussion with a toddler.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

I personally don’t enjoy it when people fill the air on the flight deck when there’s no real reason for jaw-flapping. I don’t mind hashing out my background (I do live close to the airport, I do indeed like stuff, please don’t ask me what I think about CBA ‘18 because I bet I’ve thought about it before breakfast more than you have today my guns! my money! Or whatever), shooting the normal shop poop, or having reasonably meaningful conversation.

But if you’re just talking to fill the air, and some people do and it’s just awful, it wears me out—and makes me less inclined to want to subject myself to more of it on layover and go for one of those big long walks I try to take everyday. I guess some people, too, despite the tedious nature of the job, never really learn to handle the tedium, and compensate by bloviating. Which isn’t exactly an antonym of introversion or symptomatic of extraversion, but it seems to me to be at least somewhat that way. Talking about nothing is exhausting.

I get like that occasionally when I’m Uber caffeinated and I apologize profusely in between my excitement about dogs, cars, hiking, whiskey, travel, naps, etc

 

[GypsyPilot]

Can depend on the crew, when I was based in a smaller base there's a lot of people I flew with I'd consider friends and didn't mind hanging out with, but if anyone wasn't feeling it nobody took it personally. One of the best parts for me about getting older is not caring if the other person thinks I'm boring or not. I like flying with people and having a mutual "nice flying with you" at the end of the trip and meaning it, but if they don't feel like I'm an awesome guy at the end of the trip I don't take it personally.

The other issue with where I work is a lot of cultural differences. A Mil baby boomer guy on his 3rd divorce typically doesn’t have a lot in common with me. And they usually are the type to have one way conversations, which is the worst.

I recently flew a trip with a former regional guy that was close to my age, and it was really fun! Much more like my Skywest days. Most of that pilot group was really cool and open minded, which I miss.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

I just don’t want to go out to chili’s with you after work.

Unless, of course, it’s midnight in RDD and there’s nothing else to eat, and then we go over to the karaoke bar where a bunch of drunk Chinese flight students are celebrating...well, I don’t know what they were celebrating, but they wound up getting bounced out of there and had to carry one of their own out. But the hilight of that was not, in fact, Chili’s, but the carnage that followed thereafter.

I get like that occasionally when I’m Uber caffeinated and I apologize profusely in between my excitement about dogs, cars, hiking, whiskey, travel, naps, etc

These are very wholesome and savory subject matters to flap one’s gums about; allow me to add cats, dank-ass ultrawide gaming monitors (seriously this thing is d a n k), gingerbread coffee from Trader Joe’s, the number of miles I’ve biked since April and the enduring “adventure” that is owning a townhouse where the building is settling unevenly.

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

Insecure people tend to be the most uncomfortable with silence and time to think quietly.

I couldn't tell if the last guy I flew with was talking to himself or had forgotten to turn his intercom back on again. There's really not a whole lot I feel insecure about I'd just like to not be paired up with socially retarded once in a blue moon.

I'm back on reserve and was the FO on someone's line check. Both guys were former Mesa and pretty cool. That was a good day but it was just a day turn.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

The other issue with where I work is a lot of cultural differences. A Mil baby boomer guy on his 3rd divorce typically doesn’t have a lot in common with me. And they usually are the type to have one way conversations, which is the worst.

I recently flew a trip with a former regional guy that was close to my age, and it was really fun! Much more like my Skywest days. Most of that pilot group was really cool and open minded, which I miss.

ACMI is a weird place to be happily married.

+1 on the former regional pilots though. Similar distrust of management and usually enough professionalism to keep their crazy political views to themselves.

 

[roundout]

This thread is making me super good about ending up at the airline I'm at and the position I've attained. When I was trying to get out of Eaglevoy, my first wish was Alaska. Then when I got out of Eaglevoy, my wish was AA. Unanswered prayers, or something.