What drives us?

A good schedule is the calculus of each individual. Because this is a 24/7 year-round operation, there is usually no shortage of options. I was recently discussing various bidding possibilities with a couple of pilots in my crashpad. One of them, a captain on a Boeing 757, would also be senior as a captain on a Boeing 777 or 787. He’s been on the 757 for well more than 10 years. When I asked him what is keeping him from the wide-bodies and their bigger checks, he said simply, “I don’t like the destinations.” Fair enough.

I personally don’t mind working weekends, and I love the variety of flying on my fleet out of my base. However, if I were to change bases, I could add a few more locations to my been-there-done-that map. There are several airplanes I could move to, but various issues hold me back: Getting time off for vacations in the summer, having the holidays off, going to beaches (and getting paid for it!), and having the flexibility to plan around the needs of my family all factor into my decision to hold tight for a while, even though I could make substantially more money elsewhere. I also like to have my day start out early in the morning and be done by early afternoon. Late night finishes are not my cup of tea, and neither are red-eye flights.

As my youngest kid gets ready to head off to college, my wife and I are having frequent discussions about my options. She wants to be able to join me on more trips, and we both want to see central Europe, but the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19 may make that impractical. With the kids gone, summer vacations won’t be as necessary, and if my wife steps back her work hours, we can find something to do or somewhere to go any time of the year.

In the above-mentioned discussion, another pilot on a wide-body aircraft said his only goal is to minimize the time he loses commuting to work. Because he takes at least two flights to get to work, this makes sense. In all three of our cases, the size of the paycheck takes second fiddle to other needs and desires. People bid based on all kinds of variables, and the goal posts can move at any time.

If you’re new to this line of work, go in with your eyes (and your mind) wide open. Whatever you expect, the reality will still be somewhat different. That much I can promise you.