How is you Schedule?

[rjpilot7667]

I just wanted to see how pilots are scheduled in their flight departments.

Are you Happy? What could be done better?

 

[Brett Hull]

Terribly. I'm the only typed 60 guy in our department and we frequently leave on Mondays and come home on Thursdays or Fridays. Am I happy? Absolutely not. What would I do? We have $30 milliion in airplanes and 3 full time pilots. I believe I'd loosen the purse strings and hire about 3 more pilots.

 

[thatpilotguy]

This is always the question and there doesn't seem to be a perfect answer.

Currently we operate a 3 man, 1 airplane operation flying about 400hrs a year. We typically rotate 2 trips on, one trip off and swap trips for time off when needed. We do have a lot of scheduled trips, but also have some one or two day notice trips. With the rotation things stay pretty even and we have an extra guy in the loop incase someone gets sick or has something they would like to have time off for. We have not run into the situation frequently but there still is a question on what to do when 2 guys need time off. There is alway the option for a contract guy, but that is mainly used for training conflicts being that we try to do recurrent as a crew.

I don't think there is a great answer here. I'm sure that everyone, including me has been part of an understaffed department. Sometimes not even understaffed, but in a dept. that doesn't have the ability for "hard time off."

The real question is how do you communicate to an owner that we are people...we have weddings, births, deaths, and need for vacation...not just days off. Although in some cases we don't work as much as a 9-5er we still work when most don't...evenings, nights, holidays and weekends.

I guess the reality is that we choose this life style, we new what we were getting into when we said "I want to be a pilot!"...but there has to be a balance to some degree.

I know that NBAA has a pilot need calculator that makes for an interesting arguement...but in my opinion that's all it is an arguement. Creative communication, and bringing to light the reality of our career is the real challenge.

Thankfully I work for an understanding group, and work under a chief pilot who was proactive when forming the dept. and took the steps to put in place the need for multiple pilots.

Like anything prudent and well thoughtout communication is the key element in negiotiating proper staffing and scheduling.

 

[NCherches]

Terribly. I'm the only typed 60 guy in our department and we frequently leave on Mondays and come home on Thursdays or Fridays. Am I happy? Absolutely not. What would I do? We have $30 milliion in airplanes and 3 full time pilots. I believe I'd loosen the purse strings and hire about 3 more pilots.

At least you get weekends off... i'm gone most weekends but 8 days of work ain't to rough

 

[LR60BOY]

Terribly. I'm the only typed 60 guy in our department and we frequently leave on Mondays and come home on Thursdays or Fridays. Am I happy? Absolutely not. What would I do? We have $30 milliion in airplanes and 3 full time pilots. I believe I'd loosen the purse strings and hire about 3 more pilots.

Sounds very similiar to where I left. We had 3 airplanes, 2 of which required a crew of 2. 3 pilots. I had had enough. I am now in a 2 airplane, 7 pilot department and loving it!

 

[willNOTfly4free]

I'd recommend checking out a company you would like to work for, and decide if you would enjoy their work schedule. Everybody has differing opinions on what makes a good schedule; only you can decide what's a good schedule for you and will keep you happy.

Generally speaking, smaller flight departments may not offer hard days off each month. However, you may find yourself with most weekends off, few overnights, and trips scheduled far in advance.

Larger flight departments which have a high pilot-to-airplane ratio may offer hard days off each month. For example, I know of a Fortune 100 company which offers its pilots 5 consecutive hard days off each month.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

What is the "schedule" you speak of?

 

[rjpilot7667]

Thanks guys.

 

[blzr]

Terribly. I'm the only typed 60 guy in our department and we frequently leave on Mondays and come home on Thursdays or Fridays. Am I happy? Absolutely not. What would I do? We have $30 milliion in airplanes and 3 full time pilots. I believe I'd loosen the purse strings and hire about 3 more pilots.

Where are you now? You still at Atlantic North?

 

[blzr]

I just wanted to see how pilots are scheduled in their flight departments.

Are you Happy? What could be done better?

Schedule is great as along as you don't make plans. As soon as you make a plan, you get a trip to nowhere.