Cockpit Boredom and Layovers

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Sean7432

Well-Known Member
Hey all, forgive my ignorance but curious on a few "day-in-the-life" details of the job:

- How do pilots kill the time during long-ish transits? Is reading/ipad/kindle a pretty normal practice or does it depend on the Captain? Can both pilots read or is it just the Pilot Monitoring/doing radios? Is pillaging the in-flight WiFi a normal practice?

- How long are typical layovers when flying the line (major airline)? Average, min, max hrs off? How long does it typically take from engine shutdown to hotel check-in? Is it common for crews to go out to eat/hit the bar or do most crews split and do their own thing?

- For major carriers, is it common to fly with the same pilot on multiple trips or is the pilot corps so big that you never really see the same face twice?

Thanks!
 
Sean7432 said:
Hey all, forgive my ignorance but curious on a few "day-in-the-life" details of the job:

- How do pilots kill the time during long-ish transits? Is reading/ipad/kindle a pretty normal practice or does it depend on the Captain? Can both pilots read or is it just the Pilot Monitoring/doing radios? Is pillaging the in-flight WiFi a normal practice?
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Yes

Sean7432 said:
- How long are typical layovers when flying the line (major airline)? Average, min, max hrs off? How long does it typically take from engine shutdown to hotel check-in? Is it common for crews to go out to eat/hit the bar or do most crews split and do their own thing?
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12 to 24 hour layovers, about 45 minutes from shutdown to hotel. We eat together if it's not too short of an overnight and the others seem fun. Usually we have a different departure time than the FAs, so only all really hang out on Hawaii and Cancun layovers.

Sean7432 said:
- For major carriers, is it common to fly with the same pilot on multiple trips or is the pilot corps so big that you never really see the same face twice?
Thanks!
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Our group is fairly big but I've flown with some guys more than once, I'd say you'd go at least a few months without flying with the same person.
 
How do pilots kill the time during long-ish transits? Is reading/ipad/kindle a pretty normal practice or does it depend on the Captain? Can both pilots read or is it just the Pilot Monitoring/doing radios? Is pillaging the in-flight WiFi a normal practice?
Click to expand...

Yes

- How long are typical layovers when flying the line (major airline)? Average, min, max hrs off? How long does it typically take from engine shutdown to hotel check-in? Is it common for crews to go out to eat/hit the bar or do most crews split and do their own thing?
Click to expand...

Average probably around 17-24 hrs, but we have layovers as short as 11, mostly day sleeps after a redeye, we have a couple 30 hr layovers and sometimes even some 40+ if the flight only operates on certain days, but those are rare.

Plane to van to hotel depends on where we stay. If we go to a long layover in a big city, it can take 30 mins from curb to hotel. Usually about 15-20 min drive from curb to hotel.

Our FAs fly different schedules, so you could be switching FAs every leg. We usually don't hang out with the FAs.

- For major carriers, is it common to fly with the same pilot on multiple trips or is the pilot corps so big that you never really see the same face twice?
Click to expand...

You usually stick with the same pilot for the entire trip. Depending on the size of the base, you can end up flying with the same pilot again later on.[/quote]
 
Sean7432 said:
Hey all, forgive my ignorance but curious on a few "day-in-the-life" details of the job:

- How do pilots kill the time during long-ish transits? Is reading/ipad/kindle a pretty normal practice or does it depend on the Captain? Can both pilots read or is it just the Pilot Monitoring/doing radios? Is pillaging the in-flight WiFi a normal practice?
Click to expand...

Depends

- How long are typical layovers when flying the line (major airline)? Average, min, max hrs off? How long does it typically take from engine shutdown to hotel check-in? Is it common for crews to go out to eat/hit the bar or do most crews split and do their own thing?
Click to expand...

From "ten hours behind the door" up to as long as 96 hours on the international side.

Depends. about 45 mins to an hour depending.

I'm happy in a group, happy alone. If you're a fun copilot, we'll probably meet up for cocktails and some food, but if you're a pain in the ass, a dope or completely nut-baggy, I'm under no obligation to hang out with you.

- For major carriers, is it common to fly with the same pilot on multiple trips or is the pilot corps so big that you never really see the same face twice?

Thanks!
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A mix. I've been on the Bus in DTW for a few years and I've flown with the same copilots a number of times and there are always new faces.
 
I kill time with newspapers and latest iThing. If the layover is long enough and we don't have to get up at the crack of dawn, we'll get some food and drinks. In just a little over a year at my airline, there have maybe been 5 times where the FA's went out with us. We always ask but they usually tend to be the "slam clickers"
 
Nice try, Yanofsky!

Crews hanging out is a mixed bag. It seems like on the CRJ side of things at my company the crews are generally more willing to go out and at least have dinner fairly frequently. E-Jet not so much. Rarely to never depending on the base. Not sure why, but it may have something to do with the crews generally being more senior and "over it", and the bases being bigger. And the overnights generally not being amazing (hey, want to go to the Olive Garden since we stay by a mall next to the airport and there's nothing else around!?"
 
JordanD said:
Nice try, Yanofsky!

Crews hanging out is a mixed bag. It seems like on the CRJ side of things at my company the crews are generally more willing to go out and at least have dinner fairly frequently. E-Jet not so much. Rarely to never depending on the base. Not sure why, but it may have something to do with the crews generally being more senior and "over it", and the bases being bigger. And the overnights generally not being amazing (hey, want to go to the Olive Garden since we stay by a mall next to the airport and there's nothing else around!?"
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*shrug*. I've had bad luck with crews too. Maybe because I bid PM's?

It's probably a lot easier to go to dinner than meet up for, say, brunch.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 
trafficinsight said:
*shrug*. I've had bad luck with crews too. Maybe because I bid PM's?

It's probably a lot easier to go to dinner than meet up for, say, brunch.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
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Same, because waking up at 4am is like the flu for me. "But you get done so much earlier and can go do things!"
"....Yeah... but you have to go to bed at 7pm when it's broad daylight."
 
JordanD said:
Same, because waking up at 4am is like the flu for me. "But you get done so much earlier and can go do things!"
"....Yeah... but you have to go to bed at 7pm when it's broad daylight."
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In my case it's "not really because we get home during rush hour and it takes me 3 hours to drive home."

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 
A bit about reading. Generally reading not work related material on the flight deck is explicitly forbidden per company policy. With that said, I've never seen anyone interested in following that policy.
 
Derg said:
Considering the OP is probably a writer for an online magazine, the answer is "Everything that happens on the flightdeck, STAYS on the flight deck"
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I read the QRH and QRC on long flights. I even dig deep into the AFM and once I dove into the FMS manual. On long turns I update my Jepps. On overnights I do my CBTs and study for recurrent that's 364 days away, because nothing will change before then.

No alcohol 1 day prior, during, or 18 hours after a trip. I talk SOP during cruise. I have ideas about what's good and what can be fixed. If the FO and I agree on things that can be fixed, we both fill out the form in the front of the SOP and mail/fax it in at earliest convenience to the appropriate address.

If there's absolutely nothing to talk about and I've been in the SOP/FOM/QRH/QRC for too long during cruise, I start to to clean the fingerprints off screens. When that's done I'll start picking up all the long pieces of hair stuck on the radio knobs and throwing them away. After the hair is gone I get the chunks of food cleaned up. If all this is done and we still haven't briefed the descent/arrival/taxi-in/deplaning/walk to the hotel van, then I need to rethink my bid to avoid such long flights.

Good enough for an editorial?
 
Adler said:
I'd like to have dinner with the crew, but the cute FA is usually busy with the the FO. I thought having four stripes meant I got first choice. Sad.
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No Captain in history, and I say this with great surety, has been treated worse or more unfairly. You can't let them get you down, you can't let the critics and the naysayers get in the way of your dreams or the cute FA's.
 
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