Cockpit life and long transits?

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Sean7432

Well-Known Member
I'm considering a career in the airlines and am curious about what it's typically like in the cockpit during transits? Do most airline pilots expect to chat with eachother for hours or do they keep to themselves? I am someone who actually prefers minimal conversation, especially long periods of smalltalk, and am most comfortable just reading a good book (aka an introvert).

Does it suck to fly with quiet guys or is it welcomed? Are there a lot of airline pilots like me out there? I'd love to hear input from some real airline pilots!
 
Like this you mean?
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If by good book you mean your companies Ops manual...sure. Most airlines don't allow non work related reading material in the cockpit (ie magazines, newspaper, book, etc).

It's going to happen, people will want to talk. If you're the guy that no one wants to be paired with, it's going to be a lonely existence. (I'm not an airline pilot, but that advice was all gleamed directly from this site.) I'm an introvert as well, but you learn to pick your battles. You can be a slam-clicker after the flight...not so much during.
 
Oh, come on, be honest with the man. While the airlines say that you're not allowed to read non-company material in flight, everybody does it. The few captains that don't allow it end up on everyone's no-bid list.

@Sean7432, it's a mixed bag. Some guys you fly with will expect you to entertain them with small talk for days on end, others will be perfectly happy to just sit there and read or look out the window. Most guys talk for the first few legs, then settle into more quiet unless they have a hell of a lot in common. There just isn't much to chat about with a stranger after a few hours.
 
Sean7432 said:
I'm considering a career in the airlines and am curious about what it's typically like in the cockpit during transits? Do most airline pilots expect to chat with eachother for hours or do they keep to themselves? I am someone who actually prefers minimal conversation, especially long periods of smalltalk, and am most comfortable just reading a good book (aka an introvert).

Does it suck to fly with quiet guys or is it welcomed? Are there a lot of airline pilots like me out there? I'd love to hear input from some real airline pilots!
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It varies with each pilot's personality. Some guys can't shut up to save their life and for some getting anything is like pulling teeth. It'll depend on familiarity too, if you know someone well and get along there tends to be more conversation/joking around. After 4 days of sitting in a phone booth together even the friendliest of crews tend to be quieter than day 1 or 2.

I'd say it sucks to fly with folks that are micro managers and/or jerks. Anything else is usually not an issue, you just have to be something of a chameleon and adapt to each personality you get paired with. There's nothing wrong with politely telling the other guy "hey, I'm gonna read for a bit but if you need anything from me just let me know" either.
 
Just like any other profession.

Since you're always working in a team, you do require social skills.

Some guys are quiet, some are talkative.

My preferences?

If you're talkative, hopefully it's a dialogue and not a four day one-way lecture on how awesome you think you are.

If you're quiet, don't be creepy AND quiet because then I have to worry about your sanity.
 
jtrain609 said:
I intend on buddy bidding with you one day so we can plan Obama's suspension of the constitutional limits on term limits and His eventual institition of marshall law while we're at work.
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And we shall discuss frequencies, Benzedrine and the New World Order.

Oh, and Bildebergs!
 
ATN_Pilot said:
Oh, come on, be honest with the man. While the airlines say that you're not allowed to read non-company material in flight, everybody does it. The few captains that don't allow it end up on everyone's no-bid list.
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I don't know what you're referring to. I don't read anything but company related material. I just can't help that my company provides, via the contracted hotels, lots of crosswords, sudoku's, up & down words, quickcross, and word roundup in the approved company related material. And if I happen to ask you who the classic film star is, related to Maryland, 15 letters, I'm just trying to make sure you're still alive and functioning. NOT looking for a solution.
 
jtrain609 said:
I intend on buddy bidding with you one day so we can plan Obama's suspension of the constitutional limits on term limits and His eventual institition of marshall law while we're at work.
Click to expand...

You'd better hurry up, he's only going to be the king for about another year and a half!
;)

#politics #blah @something
 
Derg said:
If you're talkative, hopefully it's a dialogue and not a four day one-way lecture on how awesome you think you are.
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Well, crap...that leaves me out! Wait, what if you "know" and not just "think" your awesome?!? :def: We good?

:bounce::bounce:

Seriously, it's nice if we get along and have some decent conversations over the course of a trip. I like to get to know the folks I fly with. I've seen everything from the extremely quiet who never initiate a conversation to the ones who have a bad case of verbal diarrhea and seem to have never had an unspoken thought. I prefer somewhere in between but ultimately we're there to get the jet from point A to B professionally and safely.
 
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