Rosters!

[arpansingla]

Hi there, was just browsing on this website:

http://www.ppjn.com/factfile.php?id=0eakwateh92tx4e0bpzjbcvh15190r5pt5wc3heac6ty 0ynz885

I'm a little confused at to the working days of a pilot's week.

I was wondering about how many days pilots work, and what their typical rosters are.

I noticed it says on the above mentioned website that you get 10 days off every 28, so does that mean you get around 17 weeks a year when you dont work!?

I'm still a long way off getting a job, just curious thats all!

Thanks
Arpan

[The Greaser]

10 days off per 28 seems about average and overall we may get more days off per year than a 9-5 office worker. However we work unsocial, long hours and don't get bank holidays, Christmas/Easter etc off. Hence overall I suspect we work comparable hours with any other job you care to think of.

[TopBunk]

I noticed it says on the above mentioned website that you get 10 days off every 28, so does that mean you get around 17 weeks a year when you dont work!?

10 days off in 28.

Well 28 days = 4 weeks = 10 days off. This equates to working a 4.5 day week, if you like, as compared to a '5 day week' an office walla may do. But, bear in mind, that that may include 1,2 or 3 nights away from home (effectively at work, in that you can't cut the lawn etc).

The number 10 off in 28 is an industry term as weekends off do not form part of the job description!

[arpansingla]

Thought it was too good to be true. Weekends and 10 days off per month!

[spoilers yellow]

I don't have any set days that i am off, I may work weekends or I may not, however on average I have around 13-16 days off each month, at home totally free of anything work related.

[Rainboe]

You should be warned that in BA that could easily be 8 or 9 days off in 28 only- it is not unusual. On the days you are working, they tend to be long, multisector days, starting at unearthly hours, dumping you exhausted somewhere in Europe, and possibly totally unable to relax with a drink for 5 days because you are paralytically tired each evening, and you have to be up at 4.30 am to fly back to the UK.

You will find BA pilots are diabolically tired all the time, with a damaged home life through long, long separation. Be aware.

[spoilers yellow]

Rainboe,

I work for BA, and I've never had less than 11 days off in a rostered month! I agree that some fleets namely the airbus and the 777 guys are working fairly hard at the moment but I would hardly describe any of them that I know as diabloically tired.

As for long periods of seperation, again it depends on the fleet you are on, the shorthaul fleets will give a choice as to the type of trip you do(unless you're very junior) and the very nature of long haul implies you will have time away, but equally more time off between trips to compensate.

[Rainboe]

spoilers, you obviously haven't heard some of the same complaints I have. The problem was worse down at LGW B737. Either people were telling porkies or they were actually ending up with as little as 8 or 9 days off in a month. Are you telling me the 777 pilots are not working to exhaustion levels?

[SkyCruiser]

Here at Cathay Pacific I am having between 15 and 18 days off a month. 744 long haul.

[spoilers yellow]

Rainbow,

agree that the tripple guys are working very hard, alot of two crew east coast trips but they will still be getting around 13 days off.
As for the 737 at LGW, I was there until 2 years ago, things were alot easier then, however I've got alot of friends still there and they have to have at least 10 days off a month(except feb) and with some of the long four sector days they are being given most end up with 12 days off.