What do you do all day?

[stir crazy]

I wonder if i could get some advice.

I have just finnished my degree at university and have researched fully all the avenues available to me to obtain my JAA fATPL.

Unfortunatly i do not know anyone who actually does the job.

Please could someone give me an idea of a day in the life of a typical airline pilot.

I think this is what i would like to do as a career but would like to know exactly what it involves after the training.

Thankyou.

[Pub User]

A typical day is a hard thing to define, as they tend to vary a lot. This is an aspect of the job that I love, as I do not enjoy set routines.

To try to answer your question, my day today was as follows:

Set the alarm for 04:35, to leave the house at 05:15 (I don't like to rush) to report by 06:15, for an 07:15 take-off to the Canaries.

Crewing called at 03:58 to tell me I was re-rostered onto another flight, to report at 08:00. 'Excellent' I thought, as I had a lie-in.

Left home at 07:05, and got to work at 07:45 - possibly the worst time of day, as I had to encounter rush-hour traffic.

Flew hundreds of happy holiday-makers to and from a secret North-African destination, just under 3 hours each way. Lovely weather in UK, and a few storms to dodge in Africa, most of Europe covered in cloud, so no particularly nice views today.

Got back around 16:00. Home by 17:30, after a quick visit to B&Q on the way.

I can't believe I get paid for it.

[moku]

My day yesterday......

Alarm at 05:45(Long lazy shower).

Leave house at 06:40 to arrive at the carpark at 06:50!! Best part only 10 min drive to work, 15 in traffic.

Dep at 08:00. Fly two sectors.....

Walk back in the front door at 12:20.

Rest of afternoon off.

Today report at 15:00 back by 19:45
Great life :)

Most days this month are just two sector days, with around 4 night stops.

[Luke SkyToddler]

My day yesterday ...

Alarm rings 0600, out the door at 0630 for 0645 report.

Dep 0730 position empty a/c INV - PIK

0850 Fly a dozen pax on a private golf charter to CAL

0901 Land at CAL (11 minutes airborne time!!) Help unload golf clubs and tidy the a/c, then go look for a taxi. Spend 6 hours sitting in cafe in CAL drinking cappuccino, reading daily telegraph and updating big-jet-airline CVs on laptop.

1500 Taxi back to airport, stop off at harbour on the way to buy a Tesco's bag full of whacking great king prawns fresh off the back of some fishing boat.

1600 Fly CAL - DND & drop passengers off again

1700 DND - INV

1815 Go home.

1830 Prawns on barbie, cold beer in hand :)

[duece19]

Last time I went to work. (four days ago :) )

Alarmclock goes off at 10am, wake up slowly and roll in to the shower.

Cook food, eat food, do the dishes, iron a shirt.

Surf the internet, eat an apple, surf some more.

1445 put uniform on, grab flightbag and head for the car.

1510 go through security and head for crewroom, check in at 1520 for two sectors to spain.

1540 enter aircraft, and then find out about ATC strike in France and thus a slot 4 hours later (aaaaaarrrrrrggghhh)

Sit for three and a half hours, then fly to Spain.

Quick turnaround, and then wait for new slot.
Sit for two hours and almost start crying of boredome.

Finally fly home, land, exit airplane, check out and drive home. In bed for 0340.

[lookoutbelow]

Much like Deuce19, haven't been on duty since Sunday! Apart from a standby on Monday, wasn't called out to work! Am working tommorrow evening.

Sunday. Alarm 0400, Leave home 0430, Report 0510, Airborne 0625, Land Greece 0940, Back LGW 1420, in the pub celebrating a friends birthday at 1520!

Tommorrow evening: Wake up, check email/roster online, back to the DIY project that is my house, tidy up 1400, SSS, leave for work 1500, Report 1530, Airborne 1610 (its a positioning flight with no passengers, bags, cargo or cabin crew) Land EDI 1720. Catch the EasyJet EDI-LGW back home and happy by 2200

Seriously though, the job varies hugely depending on all sorts of variables such as what size aircraft you are flying, the type of company you are working for low cost v charter operator v scheduled v night frieght v VIP Private jet etc, the seasson (especially if you work in the charter market), the routes you fly, the base you are working from, if the airline is well crewed or is going through a patch of having crew shortage etc. On a daily basis you have other variables that can effect your day such as weather delays, technical delays, slot delays, you name it you can be delayed by it and it can change what looked like a nice easy 2 sector day to Malaga into a nightmare!

There simply are so many variables to go into.

I love it though and wouldn't ever change it!

Good luck with it all.

Lookoutbelow

[beamer]

Alarm at 0530 - discover departure delayed one and a half hours - no point going back to bed - TEA.

Drive to work now takes far longer as its rush hour - roadworks, bags of stress, bloody lorry jack-knifed, motorway closed.

Arrive at work - aircraft still u/s - refuellers want figure, no bags loaded, no sign of pax. Jet fixed - depart late, 5hr + sector, make up a little time - half decent turnround. Depart late again another 5hr+ sector back to UK. Nervous passenger waylays me whilst going to loo - do I get paid extra for counselling ? Back to base - have to slow down due to low-cost operator unwilling to help ATC by keeping speed up - oh well never mind. Land, raining, TEA !

Drive home, motorway open, damn - local A -road closed, mini-diversion - home 2330 - wife and kids in bed - TEA (G & T actually) - Bed. Ah the glamour of it all - oh yes sunset over Cairo was wonderful.........................

[Airbus Girl]

There is much more info on this thread:-

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=170231