Minimum number of hours worked a month

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kdfw

Well-Known Member
This is probably a stupid question, but I would really appreciate if an airline pilot could explain this to me.

Is there a minimum number of hours a pilot needs to work per week/month? Basically, can a low salary regional airline pilot have another full time job and fly during his off time?
 
Probably depends on the airline, but where I work if you drop below about 58 hours you have to pay for your health insurance if you have it. As far as I know, if you're cool with that you can drop down as much as you like.
 
Would that apply while you are on reserve or do you need to hold the line before being able to decide how many hours you want to work?
 
kdfw said:
This is probably a stupid question, but I would really appreciate if an airline pilot could explain this to me.

Is there a minimum number of hours a pilot needs to work per week/month? Basically, can a low salary regional airline pilot have another full time job and fly during his off time?
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There isn't really a regulatory minimum number other than just basic currency. The way our schedules work, is that you pick from a set of schedules (called lines) that have a certain number of credit hours built into it, or automated system builds you a schedule up to a minimum.

At my place we use pbs so we fall into the later. Essentially, we bid on trips that we wants and then the software goes through and assigns you a number of trips each one being worth a certain amount of credit hours. It then keeps giving you trips until a threshold is reached. Say 75 hours for the month.

Once your schedule is built you do, at most places, have the option to go in and drop trips or swap them out for other trips. Before I upgraded I was dropping everything I could. The most I worked was about 50 hours a month.
 
kdfw said:
Would that apply while you are on reserve or do you need to hold the line before being able to decide how many hours you want to work?
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Reserve doesn't give you many options at all. Some places you can drop reserve days, and most places, I would guess, you can at least move them around.
 
The question you need to ask yourself is:

Are you a full time _____ and a part time pilot or a full time pilot and a part time_____?

Guys trying to work a full 40 hour week plus do the airline flying usually end up burning out or at the least, being very unhappy. Not saying it can't be done, but a clear understanding of what your priorities are and what you are willing to endure is essential.
 
poser765 said:
Reserve doesn't give you many options at all. Some places you can drop reserve days, and most places, I would guess, you can at least move them around.
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I wouldn't bank on being able to move RSV days easily. Three airlines I've been at, it took CPO intervention to move them.
 
Cptnchia said:
I wouldn't bank on being able to move RSV days easily. Three airlines I've been at, it took CPO intervention to move them.
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No I wouldn't bank on it either. I mention it only in more of a "technically" sort of way. At my shop the option ability to do it exists...but successfully doing it depends on a number of factors.
 
Easy to move reserve days here (CP) as long as there are green days, which we have a lot of lately.


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Regionals tend to run lean on staffing especially these days. Getting anything less than a 90 hour line (busy month) or not being able to move/drop days is tough. Base, airplane, seat all varies of course but as others say it would be a significant challenge. Many pilots have side gigs some of which can be done on the road but a true full time separate job along with keeping your head in the game/not getting burnt out would be tough.
 
kdfw said:
This is probably a stupid question, but I would really appreciate if an airline pilot could explain this to me.

Is there a minimum number of hours a pilot needs to work per week/month? Basically, can a low salary regional airline pilot have another full time job and fly during his off time?
Click to expand...

There's a minimum number of days off you'll get flying for an airline. Typically it seems to be about 12 per month. If you can fit a full time job into those 12 days, go for it. But your airline employer will expect you to prioritize them first.

Sidebar question: I don't understand airline pilots working another job for additional money. If you want more earnings, why wouldn't you just pick up additional flying at the airline? It's gotta pay more than any side-gig you could get.
 
Flying Saluki said:
There's a minimum number of days off you'll get flying for an airline. Typically it seems to be about 12 per month. If you can fit a full time job into those 12 days, go for it. But your airline employer will expect you to prioritize them first.

Sidebar question: I don't understand airline pilots working another job for additional money. If you want more earnings, why wouldn't you just pick up additional flying at the airline? It's gotta pay more than any side-gig you could get.
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Diversification of income. After a few furloughs it starts to sound like a pretty good idea.
 
At my airline we are allowed to drop down to as low as 40 hours of credit with either a line or reserve line. If I won the lotto, I would keep my job and bid reserve which is 18 days on call and 12 days off and drop reserve days down to have about 20 days off. Reserves rarely get called, at least in my base/equipment, so I would probably have to pick up a trip every 90 days to stay current.
There are also ways to get paid a lot, work very little and not be on call/reserve. Some airlines have sweet spots with a lot of CKA in one particular base and if you are senior enough to mirrior their bid you can get the majority of your trips dropped and pay protected.
 
Flying Saluki said:
There's a minimum number of days off you'll get flying for an airline. Typically it seems to be about 12 per month. If you can fit a full time job into those 12 days, go for it. But your airline employer will expect you to prioritize them first.

Sidebar question: I don't understand airline pilots working another job for additional money. If you want more earnings, why wouldn't you just pick up additional flying at the airline? It's gotta pay more than any side-gig you could get.
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I make way more money working my side job than I could picking up trips. I often drop trips when I have enough work on the side.
 
We can drop to 65 hours at PSA (once you hold a line), which equates to (3) 4 day trips. We can also swap our trips around as much as we want (again, once we are holding a line). During the Schedule Adjustment Period, we can add/swap/drop anything that we want as long as we do not drop below 65 hours and do not violate part 117. So, if you don't want to work weekends, or only want to fly on the weekends, you can do it, or have any time off that you want. But, as stated twice previously, it kicks in once you are a line holder. In our junior base, reserve time is about 4-6 months, in the senior base, it is a year or so.
 
I worked 0 hours for two and half months while the airline was trying to transition to a new fleet. I was lucky and was offered first in the new aircraft class. The airplanes were corroded and didn't make it to property in time and I sat for quite a while. I actually had to be retrained and go back to the old aircraft.
 
Cessnaflyer said:
I worked 0 hours for two and half months while the airline was trying to transition to a new fleet. I was lucky and was offered first in the new aircraft class. The airplanes were corroded and didn't make it to property in time and I sat for quite a while. I actually had to be retrained and go back to the old aircraft.
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Which shop was this?
 
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