Short Haul vs. Long Haul

[agent.oen]

Which would you prefer and why? A few pointers I can think of:

PRO Short Haul

• more landings per month - skills are kept active
• more chances of being back home in the evenings, see the family, enjoy home
• a cockpit is a cockpit in the end, no matter the size of the aircraft
• more actual flying, less monitoring (i.e. less boring)
  
• very little (if any) jet lag
  

PRO Long Haul

• big jets! (macho thing really)
  
• exotic lifestyle - hotel rooms, travel the world (literally)
  
• experience in dealing with different hemispheres and crossing large numbers of meridians

I personally would be more inclined to opt for short haul flights although there is literally not much chance of flying anything bigger than a 737 or an A320. But imo if the reason why an individual wants to be a pilot is the flying, then there's much more real flying in short haul than in long haul.

What about you other pilots?
AO

[HOMER SIMPSONS LOVECHILD]

Depends entirely whether it's a Boeing or an Airbus. Also whether you are approved or modular . Oh and whether you are civilian or ex-mil!

[agent.oen]

Well, in that case you could also add that it depends whether you have a family or not, whether you are the real macho type thinking bigger is better or not, whether you're more interested in lazing about in a hotel or flying more...

I'm just after some straightforward and honest replies

[S44]

Personally, having done seven years european short haul and now 4 years long haul I wouldn't swap back unless I absolutely had to. SH was great for a while, as you say lots of handling etc, but in the end I got sick and tired of early starts, 4 sector days in and out of CDG and FRA etc followed by a row of late finishes into days off, 2 days off and back onto earlies. At the end of a long day, I felt I had been on duty for 10 hours plus, just to end up in the same place!

I got into flying to see something of the world and I can certainly say that with LH. I find the flying far less tiring, still 10+ hour days as before, but only one sector (normally with relief crew) then off to a hotel for a night or two before returning. As for the handling, after seven years of 30 odd landings a month, one or two a month that I'm now doing is sheer bliss!

As I said, just my personal opinion, I know of several people who couldn't think of anything worse and would never consider LH... horses for courses really

S44

[Rainboe]

I think you should just settle for ANY-haul these days you can get and make your own mind up!

[agent.oen]

Granted Rainboe, the industry is far from doing well. But the point of my thread was to get an insight to what aviators think about short vs. long haul, preferably from their
experience.

[Rainboe]

Choosing shorthaul or longhaul in this job market is like an Ethiopian starvation victim deciding 'Curry or Italian' tonight. You grab what you can! Choice is a long way away right now! I think you are a student still. Don't be choosy.

[TheGorrilla]

If you're lucky enough you'll get to try both.

[Mister Geezer]

If you wish to read the Daily Telegraph from cover to cover (including doing the sudoku) and eat your meal with out rushing and suffering from indigestion, then long haul is the flying for you.

I have had to eat at speed on too many occasions whilst flying short sectors and it always happens on the last sector of the day. This results in discreet farting on the crew bus to the hotel, so that I can regain some comfort!

[agent.oen]

@ Rainboe:
I'm not exactly the average student you must be thinking of... I've got more than that ready for me for the future I'm just curious to hear what other people have to say. If I did happen to be the average student, I would also have common sense to know what the current situation demands from upcoming aviators and would happily settle for anything (short, long haul; aerial work; bush flying...) that would earn me some reward for doing the job.

@Geezer
Geezer you made me laugh there! Yeah true for a second I forgot about the rushed meals on short haul! Good thing you hold it in till the bus ride to the hotel and not let them loose in the cockpit

@S44
Awesome reply!! I would also like to ask what are your views regarding the different type of aircraft that you've flown? A 777 is different from a 734 but really, once you're inside, is there that satisfaction that you're flying the 'big jet' or doesn't it matter?

AO

[Mungo Man]

PRO Long Haul

Surely the biggest is more money to spend on having a life when you are at home?

[S44]

AO,

There is always a "honeymoon" period with any type when its new and different from your last. I moved from air taxi twin engined piston to turbo-prop, then onto 737-300/400 and then onto the 744 and enjoyed each one. Granted, I did always want to fly the 744, but now after a few years..... its just another flight deck (albeit a bit higher up than the others!). For me, its the lifestyle thats important, not the type.

S44