To All Pilots - Overnight flights?

Question

These questions are aimed at any active or retired commercial pilots:

On an overnight (Red Eye flight) what do you do to keep awake?

Are you able to get coffee from the cabin?

Is it true that when you start with an airline, it is more likely that you will have to do overnights?

The reason i am asking these questions is because i am currently studying to get my commercial license and airline transport permit with Transport Canada.

I am also looking for a mentor to help me through the ground school and my in flight lessons.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Talk, in the old days tune the NDB to an AM radio station, read, turn the lights up even helps.

Coffee any time you want

When you start you'll be junior and fly what nobody else wants, sometimes that's the red eyes.\

Good luck.

Answer 2

Actually overnights aren't a problem and not something we really worry about because lots of good flights are overnights. The main thing is that when you start, you will get your seniority number which obviously means you will be the most junior pilot in the airline and so your chances of getting the good flights you bid for are zilch. Plan on flying c**p sectors for quite some time before it gets any better.

Answer 3

1.sleep early

2.offcourse,I am the captain of the plane, I can do what ever I want.

3.yes

I want to be a pilot too,let god help us,and man I might meet you in the future.Me and you 2 pilots that are flying...

Answer 4

I'm not a commercial Pilot however I have had a lot of talks with a friend of mine named Leo who is a Retired United 772 Captain

As far as staying awake, books, coffee, chit chat, turns going to first class to watch TV. the list goes on, sometimes there's SO to relieve the PIC and the PNF during the flight

Coffee, of course. any meal if you desire it also.

depends, you may even be hired on as a second officer depending on the airline doing long hauls where the crew go back and you tink around up front and make sure the flight follows it's flight plan and keep an eye out for any "Odd" things as well as maintain communications.

hope these helped

Answer 5

Overnight flights can be one of the most challenging aspects of being a pilot. Although I am not an airline pilot, I used to fly Air Ambulance flights, many of which were overnight, and found them to be very tough on the body.

There are a number of ways that pilots and airlines deal with this situation.

As a pilot, most (but not all) of the time, you’ll know in advance when you’re going to be doing an overnight flight. As a result, you’re able to adjust your sleep schedule accordingly. Having a nap in the afternoon prior to your flight and/or making sure you stay up late the night before. Eating healthy and not smoking also helps a little bit, but these are more general lifestyle factors than specific mechanisms to help you stay awake.

During the flight itself, pilots stay awake by chatting, reading, eating, drinking coffee and listening to different radio frequencies. Although cockpit doors are now locked, pilots have a flight attendant ‘call’ button and the flight attendants are able to access the cockpit to bring coffee, food or just chat. (And also deal with important inflight information).

Airlines deal with the situation with different policies. On the longer flights, there will be one or two Cruise Relief Pilots assigned to the flight. “Creeps” are usually junior pilots who sit in the flight deck during the cruise portion of the flight. The original Captain and First Officer do the Take-Off and Landings and then take turns relaxing in the crew rest area. On some aircraft, there are a couple of seats in first class that are reserved for the crew. On other aircraft, like the newer Boeing 777s, there are private crew rest areas on top of the main cabin.

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/777fami...

Other airlines have implemented official monitored or planned cockpit rest procedures where only one pilot at a time can have a nap. The big problem is when both pilots fall asleep! This is somewhat controversial as some airlines want both pilots awake the whole time they’re in the cockpit, whereas others recognize that giving the pilots the opportunity for short naps will allow them to be more awake for the challenging approach and landing phase of flight.

Depending on the airline you work for, you may end up doing more night flights when you first start out. Seniority is a big factor for airline scheduling. The pilots that have been at an airline longer get first choice at choosing their flights. Sometimes, overnight flights may be less desirable and the more junior pilots get stuck with flying them.

The issue is slightly more complicated however. At most airlines, pilots get paid more the larger the plane they fly. The larger planes typically fly more long haul routes. Therefore, it is usually the higher seniority pilots (those who have been there the longest) that fly the biggest planes. There will likely be the requirement to fly more long overnight flights on the bigger planes than on the smaller planes. Therefore, higher seniority pilots might fly at night more.

One of the best pieces of advice given to me when I was training was to “Guard your Sleep”. Going to a flight, either at night or during the day if you’re not well rested can be a safety concern. It requires planning ahead, but it can be done.

The great thing about flying at night though is that you get to see some amazing Northern Lights!

Good Luck

James Ball

Author of “So, You Want to be a Pilot, Eh? – A Guidebook for Canadian Pilot Training”

http://www.piloteh.com

http://www.piloteh.blogspot.com