Are pilots home half the month?

Question

I have hopes to become a commerciall pilot after college and was wondering if pilots are able to be home half the month? for example say i go out flying/working for 15 days in a row, now am i home for 15 days? or is it broken up like fly 3 days, home 2 days, fly 4 days, home 1 day? thanks for all of your help!!

Answer 1

It might be possible to have that schedule, but it's not common.  Most US airlines have you work shorter trips, like 3-5 days at a time.  There are some international outfits that will schedule you 2 weeks at a time.  You'll also, most likely, have to pay your dues at a regional where the schedules will most definitely not have you off a lot at a time.  In this day and age, more and more pilots are forced to spend their careers at regionals as well.

BTW, 15 on, 15 off is a great schedule to have, but keep in mind that most spouses will not be okay with that.  If I was single, I'd be all over that, but not a chance as a married man.

Answer 2

Depends on the contract and who you're flying for. Some outfits will have you on the road a week or two at a time. Others will have everything broken up like 3 on 4 off, 4 on 2 off, or something like that. It all depends upon staffing and the trips that they have to fill.

If you're home for half the month consider yourself very lucky.  10 to 12 days off a month seems pretty much the average.

Answer 3

I've flown the following: 5 on 2 off alternating with 4 on 3 off (scheduled passenger-carrying); 7 on 7 off (fractional with some Jet Card) ; on call all the time (on-demand 135); and no fixed schedule with all trips scheduled from several days to weeks in advance (Part 91).

Answer 4

Presumably you are referring to the airlines, and the schedule highly  depends upon the company you work for, their route structure, your seniority, and whether you fly domestic or international routes, and if you fly a regular line or hold a reserve line.  A typical domestic line will have you flying about 15 days per month, but not in a row. In general, a junior pilot  will have a schedule that is broken up in shorter sgments of time on and off. A pilot with good seniority might be able to work something like you suggest with longer stretches off. However, regs require at least one day off in 7, there is a 7 day flight and duty time limit, and there is also a monthly limit, so a simple 2 week on, 2 week off schedule is a virtual impossibility. Also, unless you live near your crew base, you need to factor in commute time, which can really eat up your time off.