Does time pass by fast as an Airline pilot?

I did an office job before the airline pilot thing. Without a doubt, time seems to go a lot faster :) in the flying job. Part of it is being home everyday versus going on a 4-day trip leaving Thursday, and by the time you’re back home it’s Sunday but for the home life, you still left on a Thursday and it should feel like a Thursday at home. It’s no longer the case.

Plus, as pilots we live one month in advance. By November 1st, bidding opens for December, schedule out by the 10th, and then you try to make changes 12-15th. So half the current month is spent planning next month. So November has just started on the 1st, but I’m full in December mode. That also makes it feel like time flies. I don’t like thinking of next month when the new month just started on the 1st. But that’s our life, every month bid opens on the 1st.


inspiringpilot96 said:
What makes you unhappy about it?
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As airline pilots? IMO, time away from family/kids. You’ll never get that time back and you miss many precious occasions.
 
Zapphod Beblebrox said:
Right after IOE on the DC-9-30, I had a captain ask me what my seniority number was. 2042, I replied, He said, "Son that ain't a number that's a damn Zip Code!".
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My seniority number is 14580 (which is a zip code apparently, I checked.) ...but projection from the company has me retiring in the double digits, time can’t go fast enough!:bounce:

But no, time does seem to go faster with each passing year. Trying to enjoy it and slow it down.
 
inspiringpilot96 said:
What makes you unhappy about it?
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Cherokee_Cruiser said:
Plus, as pilots we live one month in advance. By November 1st, bidding opens for December, schedule out by the 10th, and then you try to make changes 12-15th. So half the current month is spent planning next month. So November has just started on the 1st, but I’m full in December mode. That also makes it feel like time flies. I don’t like thinking of next month when the new month just started on the 1st. But that’s our life, every month bid opens on the 1st.
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Damn, our bids for December start like Nov 18th and don't officially come out until like the 25th. 5-6 days to plan.
 
inspiringpilot96 said:
What makes you unhappy about it?
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I can't speak for him, but it's like any job where there's crappy days/crappy periods of time. For my end, maybe it's a crew I don't particularly enjoy flying with, a short overnight or an early wake up, a bad hotel, bad day with delays, etc. Everyone has to have realistic expectations and not expect every second or even day or month to be living out a childhood dream going "WOW!", but outside of a few jobs that probably don't even exist, I wouldn't want to do anything else.
 
Even NFL players hate their jobs at times. The injuries, the weekly routine and working out, the time away from their families. So even the greatest imaginable jobs that we all dreamed of doing will have days when it still feels like a job. I'm sure every single Cleveland Brown player can attest to that :D
 
ATN_Pilot said:
Just keep in mind that for introverts, nothing is more excruciating than a multi-hour leg with someone who feels it's your job to keep him entertained with conversation. People are different. Not everyone is a chatterbox.
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It seems like anytime I want to be quiet and not talk, the captain wants to chat it up. Then when I'm excited and chatting it up, captain gives back the generic "yeah" answer to everything and you realize it's time to shut up.
 
JDean3204 said:
Even NFL players hate their jobs at times. The injuries, the weekly routine and working out, the time away from their families. So even the greatest imaginable jobs that we all dreamed of doing will have days when it still feels like a job. I'm sure every single Cleveland Brown player can attest to that :D
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I bet most of those guys on the Browns love their job and are extremely happy to be doing what they love. Of course the competitive side of them hates losing. You can really see it in some players how much effort they put into the game. They constantly fight so they can get that contract extended, make more money, save their job for x amount of years.

Might sound stupid to some people but a lot of my idols are athletes. I spend a lot of my time watching and admiring these guys as a little kid. I see some make mistakes, I see some work their ass off, I see some slack off and lose it all. Even though I was never going to be a professional athletes, I took that attitude into my life at a young age and try to be like them (in a different field). Anyways, I digress....football got brought up. ;)

I do really think time flies by. If time is going by fast and you're happy, I think I'm living my life correctly. Whenever I was down and miserable, weeks and months were slow. I'm always looking forward to what the next day brings.

I dreamed of being an airline pilot since I was about 12 years old, playing FSX. I would fly every week, sometimes even 2-3x a week just dreaming of when I could do this for a "job". How quickly those years of college and instructing flew by to get here. Some hallmark days were very slow and enjoyable though...first solo, first solo cross country, first leg on IOE, etc.
 
I think it does. I think it’s because we are always looking to the future. Always bidding a month or two in advance. Bidding vacation a year in advance. Projecting an upgrade years in advance. Missing half the month as the kids grow up.

Just my opinion, but I do think time goes faster for flight crews.


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All I know is my three weeks off went by way to fast! Didn’t even complete half the honey do list. Didn’t even make it to the range. :(

Now I’m sitting on my commute and not looking forward to a 5 leg day. I wonder if the 320 has 5 leggers?
 
Cptnchia said:
All I know is my three weeks off went by way to fast! Didn’t even complete half the honey do list. Didn’t even make it to the range. :(
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I stretched a two week vacation into six weeks off and it went too fast. I should reincarnate as a pilot wife but I'm not joining any of those idiotic groups on Facebook! :)

Now I’m sitting on my commute and not looking forward to a 5 leg day. I wonder if the 320 has 5 leggers?
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Dont do DTW. There's some four leg days and I really haven't been west of DTW in months. And LGA! LGA! LGA! *vomit*
 
Cptnchia said:
Only benefit of flying the 88. We can’t go to LGA anymore. WOOHOO!!
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Which is why I feel like Jan Brady, thanks to the Mad Dog and NYC staffing:

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ZapBrannigan said:
I think it does. I think it’s because we are always looking to the future. Always bidding a month or two in advance. Bidding vacation a year in advance. Projecting an upgrade years in advance. Missing half the month as the kids grow up.

Just my opinion, but I do think time goes faster for flight crews.


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You’re gonna upgrade someday?
 
Derg said:
You know what's peculiar is that you can come to my shop, give up whatever seniority you have, and be a 737 captain in a couple years.

AND get another uniform for the collection! :)
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You know better than that. Today’s upgrade projections are meaningless tomorrow. I would’ve loved to come to work for your shop though... a decade ago. Now I’m too old, too tired, and just want to finish out the last few decades of my career with no drama.


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Upgrade projections aren't completely meaningless. Growth is speculation, yes, but retirements are retirements. It's pretty easy to look at both lists and see which one is going to lead to a much quicker upgrade. Not that I'm trying to convince you to add yet another uniform to your collection. :) But I do think people who have yet to be hired or who are junior and still young should seriously consider upgrade times when deciding where to go and where to stay.
 
ZapBrannigan said:
You know better than that. Today’s upgrade projections are meaningless tomorrow. I would’ve loved to come to work for your shop though... a decade ago. Now I’m too old, too tired, and just want to finish out the last few decades of my career with no drama.


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I know, take a joke, Leslie! :)
 
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