Airline Pilot Schedule | How Often Do We Fly?

How often to airline pilots fly? How many times a week? How many times a month? Do you have a particular route?
I answer a few of the most commonly asked questions I get asked as an airline pilot by going over my schedule for the first 3 months I was flying the line as a B-767 first officer.
Hope you enjoy!
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[@ryanpatel6588]

Love watching your videos as motivation. Currently working on my CFI!

[@pilotpetefly]

Thanks for watching Ryan. Nice, best of luck!

[@tanvirahmed5372]

Pete, why are you so freaking cool? 😁😁😁

[@TotallyLifted]

Bro I was js about to say that 😂

[@pilotpetefly]

😂😂😂

[@scottyscott9965]

Because he’s a pilot, obviously. 😂

[@paulleikin3803]

Good video and good schedule you have!

[@pilotpetefly]

Thanks Paul! Yeah schedule worked out well

[@desidog4169]

Cool, Pete!! . All you need is a cigar.

[@HooriaAkhter......]

Does every pilot has such days off sir or just as you have been working in a cargo company that's why???

[@joshuakendrick5905]

Does your company pay for your hotel on your reserve days when you’re in Memphis?

[@HooriaAkhter......]

I mean do normal airlines have similar schedules or flying hours???

[@nikitasfather7847]

Pete. Cool shirt. I want one too. Where did you buy it?

[@dsd-downshiftdave8056]

What time you start and finish Each day, is there a shift rotation days, evening, nights?

[@pilotpetefly]

varies trip to trip

[@dsd-downshiftdave8056]

@@pilotpetefly so you can be days one day then light night next?

[@TaraOzekin]

Did I understand you work for a cargo company? Was this your very first airline? I'm about to begin my ppl and I'm just trying to get a sense of what to expect when I finally start at an airline.

[@ron3897]

Is crew scheduling helping you out by seeing you live in New York and therefore assigned you so many of those EWR starts or was it by happenstance and good luck? Or do you have homies in CS and send them a gift basket every month?! And I'm assuming you now hold lines where you can try to bid EWR starts?

[@pilotpetefly]

Haha no, but I look the gift basket idea! I just bid for those trips, and was lucky enough to get them. Yes, I’m a line holder now, but don’t always get EWR, depends on the month

[@tylermurphy4219]

Pete why you so fucking cool hah😅

[@pilotpetefly]

😂😂😂

[@tharakalahiru3029]

Hi Pete, loving the videos. Can you make a video on Tattoo and Beard policy at your company and other cargo/pax operators. Thank you.

[@pilotpetefly]

Thanks for watching! No beards are allowed at any US airlines, expect for one. Tattoos, can not be showing. So they have to be covered by your uniform. Hope this helps!

[@LtColDaddy71]

I loved the schedules I was able to get with seniority at a hustle culture main line carrier. I’m talking the Southwest, Jet Blue, Spirit types. I usually could get four 3 day trips. Ideally with a really late start the 1st day, then a late morning start the 2nd day, and a somewhat earlyish start the 3rd day. Nothing was ever exactly perfect. Their are many ishes in aviation. But when it worked out, that was only 8 days sleeping in a bed without my wife, and 4 days I didn’t get to do things with her and the kids. Their used to be a commuter schedule trip I’d go for that was 7 straight days of flying, with one over night in domicile to keep it legal. It was packed full of flying too. You could max out with another 2 or 3 day trip, and be done. Things are too out of whack right now. I always had 2 concurrent careers, and a few side gigs on top of them after retiring from the reserves. Working on aircraft, farm equipment, and flight instructing. I can’t deal with so much disorganization. Although, I can’t recommend pursuing a career as an aviator enough. It, and constantly rolling profits back in, paid for a very nice farming operation. My advice, find a woman or man who falls in love with you who knows you work at the airport, and operate equipment there. Then let her in on the fact that your a pilot, but tell her she’s going to live the life of a baggage handler’s wife. Then do just that, and be 50 and in a position where you could take it, or leave it. Your kids are going to turn out much better, have a work ethic, and be a lot happier than the kids who grow up in a stuck up suburb in a McMansion. I raised farm kids, they didn’t have time to sit around and wonder if they should get parts of their anatomy chopped off, or identify this or that way. I’m not out of the woods yet, I have some who are still little, but they are pointed in the right direction.

[@christophercatalano8541]

Pete, I’ve been a fireman here in Memphis for the past 10 years. I’m looking to make a career change and get into aviation. I’d love to be an airline pilot, but I have a wife and 2 young (2 and 3 year old) boys at home. I’m used to being gone 10 days a month for 24 hrs at a time working as a fireman. My only reservation about becoming a pilot is that my time with my family will drastically decrease. Is there a way that I could contact you via email or buy you lunch or something so that I can pick your brain about your career before I jump ship from the fire department and get to committed to a aviation career? Happy new year!

[@pilotpetefly]

life is too short not to chase dreams. Many pilots have families, you can do it!

[@ifirekirby7498]

They don’t pay for the ride home? Huh. That surprised me. On another note- Is there any way I could have a little talk with you regarding becoming an airline pilot sometime? I totally understand if you’re too busy to do so, I just don’t know anyone in the field and would love to get a little more insight with a few things. Have a great day!

[@pilotpetefly]

They pay for it when it’s a deadhead, but not when my trip starts or ends in my base. Sure, sent me a DM on IG

[@jimmyjames444]

What’s your golf handicap/index Pete?

[@pilotpetefly]

That’s a great question Jimmy, I don’t have an official, but prob between 10-13? I usually shoot 83-88. Breaking 80 this year! Even if I have to do it on a par 3 course 😂

[@kingslate1]

So how many flights per day you typically fly?

[@pilotpetefly]

Usually only 1 leg a day. Occasionally 2. Very rarely ever 3

[@sodbuster518able]

To much time off,no wonder people getting stuck at the airport. Get the bigger planes and work like we used to.

[@pilotpetefly]

Haha but I like my time off Bruce!

[@DReneau]

How hard is it to work out on work days? Are you limited to crappy hotel gyms?

[@pilotpetefly]

I wouldn’t say it’s hard, it just takes discipline. I’m a member of Active&Fit. So I can use over 12,000 gyms around the country. So rarely am I limited to crappy hotel gyms

[@Shoppersshopping]

Can you request/bid the schedule to fly in and out of your home city without having to stay overnight in different cities? Thanks

[@pilotpetefly]

Definitely! If you’re airline has your city as a layover, and your seniority can hold it, you can get layovers in your home city!

[@dariusrucker7854]

Are all FedEx pilots based in Memphis? I'd like to fly cargo but live in DFW.

[@pilotpetefly]

They are not all based in MEM

[@caitlinrussell5654]

Based on locations, do you fly Delta? My husband flies the 75/76 at United, currently based in SFO.

[@pilotpetefly]

I do not. That’s sweet! I’ll make sure to wave to him next time we fly passed each other 👋🏻😁

[@sirjosefofhessen4527]

So as airline pilot you have to be very flexible regarding overall schedule

[@pilotpetefly]

Yes, certainly when you are junior

[@sirjosefofhessen4527]

@PilotPeteFly I'm going to flight school out of kmkc and goal is ATP

[@pilotpetefly]

@@sirjosefofhessen4527 awesome, best of luck with training!

[@jasonperry9020]

Looks like all of your trips are within North America. Curious if that's based on your seniority, or the decision of your company as to where they are flying the 767 these days.

[@pilotpetefly]

Most of the 767 trips are domestic. The international trips go senior. I get some of them further in my schedule as I get more seniority

[@ManjuJoseph-wq6pe]

You look cool

[@Flying1776Eagle]

Pete I want to fly commercial I have a full time job and have to provide for my family is there a good online school? And how would you go about flying to get hours with that school? Or should I go to a “local school” witch are over a hour away from me.

[@pilotpetefly]

There’s really no online school. You can get your ground school portion done with kings school, or whatever program your flight school uses. Local school or a fast track program are the flight schools that would work best. Check out my YT video on “flight training”

[@Flying1776Eagle]

@@pilotpeteflythank you I appreciate it

[@carystevensky]

I live 20 mins from SWF. Pretty cool! When you fly to / from IGN (Kingston) VOR think of this post lol! Not sure if you layover there but Hudson Taco is a great spot!

[@pilotpetefly]

Thanks for the rec!

[@carystevensky]

@@pilotpetefly There is a Gold’s Gym right near SWF too. $15 day pass. Great facility with a pool too.

[@deadliftalot]

How many hours did you fly ?

[@pilotpetefly]

A good pilot vlogger would’ve added that in there! Totally my bad, thanks for reminding me. I’ll add it up and message you back. And add it the description page as well

[@deadliftalot]

@@pilotpetefly yeah np , the pages are basically impossible for us regular guys to read xD

[@coltoncurtis4371]

Since these schedules were from 2021 and you have more seniority now, do you get to fly more? Credit more? Or would you say your block times per month are the same now as they were in 2021?

[@pilotpetefly]

Depends on the month, normally I am awarded 70-85 credit hours. But I drop a lot of my trips, swap, or trade, sometimes resulting in a lot lower credit months

[@boardingcall1593]

Hey Pete - great videos. Hope it wasn't you on that MEM-AUS flight this weekend. Too close for comfort. But what solid airmanship by the Fedex crew... it could have been so bad.

[@pilotpetefly]

Thanks for watching! Agreed!

[@emmya113]

This is so fascinating!! Why do pilots fly in pairs I get the jist but is there a special reason?

[@pilotpetefly]

Thanks for watching! I’m not sure I totally understand your question. We fly to Paris when we are scheduled to!

[@episcope]

What do those 2 hour boxes with the letter "J" mean? What is the payment system in your company? Not how much the salary is, but the pay system. That might be for another video.

[@pilotpetefly]

JS= Jumpseat. We get paid bi-monthly, and we get paid her credit hour worked. 15th and end of each month we receive a check

[@episcope]

Hour in flight, hour on ground and hour in reserve?

[@pilotpetefly]

@@episcope will add them top and get back to you

[@rasheedgraham3663]

What does it mean by base? I live near an airport so if I start my aviation career will that be my base?

[@pilotpetefly]

A base is where you’re stationed out of. For example, Delta Air Lines has pilot bases in NYC, ATL, DTW, SLC, LAX, SEA. FedEx has pilot bases in IND, MEM, LAX, ANC. So your base is where you start and end each of your trips. You don’t have to live in base though, you can commute to your base from your home to start work.

[@rasheedgraham3663]

@@pilotpetefly thanks that’s clears up a lot for me am a Jamaican who really wants to become a pilot also started a go fund me any tips?

[@pilotpetefly]

@@rasheedgraham3663keep saving money, build your hours, and study hard! Good luck!

[@rasheedgraham3663]

@@pilotpetefly thanks really appreciate it

[@pris_pris]

❤❤❤

[@PaulEstridge-il7qd]

It's Lake Washington

[@pilotpetefly]

That’s it! Thanks Paul!

[@elanfurman8186]

Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park

[@pilotpetefly]

That's the one!

[@elanfurman8186]

@@pilotpetefly As a kid, I would go there to walk every week with my grandfather who was an international flight instructor for the 747. He walks there everyday, rain or shine. Love the content you’re posting, keep it up!!

[@pilotpetefly]

@@elanfurman8186 super cool, love that! Thanks Elan, appreciate it!

[@dustinengel4852]

This was awesome Pete!!

[@pilotpetefly]

Thanks Dustin!

[@organic.eatsss]

are you content with your job? are you happy?

[@pilotpetefly]

I am, yes. Some days are harder than others. But overall, I love my job, the company I fly for, and the blessings I’ve been given in my career

[@dustinversteeg1584]

I could do with out shoutouts and the feeble attempt to be funny

[@pilotpetefly]

Thanks for watching Dustin!