Airline pilots fly an average of 75 hours per month and work an additional 150 hours per month performing other duties, such as checking weather conditions and preparing flight plans. Pilots have variable work schedules that may include several days of work followed by some days off.
Daily. An airline transport pilot can fly for up to 8 hours within a 24-hour period, and up to 10 hours if there is a second pilot aboard. After flying, pilots are required to rest for at least 16 hours. Some companies have variances to these regulations depending on their operations specifications.
Flight Duty Limitations
In the United States, the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) limit pilots to 36 flight hours in a week, 100 hours in 672 hours (28 days), and 1,000 hours in a 365-day calendar period. As a hard answer, the maximum number of hours a pilot can fly in a year is 1,000 hours.
So yes, a pilot can operate a maximum of 60 duty hours per 7 days. This is a high number of hours and will involve many flights as a short-haul pilot but potentially only one or two as a long-haul pilot.
Pilot rest is critical
Getting adequate rest is a major focus for all airline pilots. Pilots operate in a 24-hour, 7 days a week, 365 days per year environment.
Yes, pilots have free time. Junior pilots have a minimum of 12 days off per month, whereas the average pilot gets 15 days off per month and a senior pilot can enjoy up to 20 days off per month.
We average 11-14 days off per month and most pilots will fly several weekends and most holidays unless you are senior. This usually means four 4-day trips (for me) with 2-4 days off between trips. Some senior pilots can get weekends off and choose to only fly 60-70 hours with 16-17 days off.
This is to keep their life as 'normal' as possible and to help fit into the social conduct of the modern world of Monday-Friday working. However, every pilot within an airline can't be able to have every weekend off work, which means as a pilot, it's common to work over the weekend when flights are notoriously busy.
Airline pilots don't necessarily get paid a traditional salary. Instead, pilots are paid per flight hour. Meaning a pilot is only paid while their airplane is running.
The amount of time spent away from home depends on a crew member's seniority, preferences, and aircraft. The most labor-intensive schedule might place a pilot out of base for 12-15 nights in a month. An entire month's schedule for a "line holder" commonly includes four 4-day trips.
Airline pilots fly an average of 75 hours per month and work an additional 150 hours per month performing other duties, such as checking weather conditions and preparing flight plans. Pilots have variable work schedules that may include some days of work followed by some days off.
(d) No pilot may fly more than 32 hours during any seven consecutive days, and each pilot must be relieved from all duty for at least 24 consecutive hours at least once during any seven consecutive days.
With 14- to 18-hour flights no longer unusual, pilots and cabin crew have legally mandated rest times —and airlines also realise that a rested, refreshed crew member is a happy crew member.
The simple answer is yes, pilots do, and are allowed to sleep during flight but there are strict rules controlling this practice. Pilots would only normally sleep on long haul flights, although sleep on short haul flights is permitted to avoid the effects of fatigue.
Nature of flights
Indeed, pilots flying long-haul only operate one or potentially two flights each day, while those making short hops can even operate as many as four to five flights a day, and a turboprop pilot will operate even more.
Monthly Salaries of Emirates Pilots
The monthly salary of an Emirates pilot depends on his or her rank: An Emirates Captain who flies the A380 and B777 fleets earns a basic salary of AED 42,695 and a housing allowance of AED 16,075 plus average flying pay. This leads to a total, tax-free salary of AED 58,770 per month.
As of Jun 11, 2023, the average annual pay for the Boeing 747 Pilot jobs category in Staten Island is $100,515 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $48.32 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,932/week or $8,376/month.
The truth is, being a pilot is a challenging, but rewarding, career. Pilots face many challenges on a daily basis that aren't immediately obvious, from dealing with difficult passengers to ensuring their aircraft is on time and in working order.
It means that pilots can live almost anywhere in the world. However, the further you live from your base usually means the more time you need to leave for your commute. Indeed, pilots who choose to live this life will often commute the day before their working trip and stay overnight in an airport hotel or elsewhere.
The airline handles and pays for accommodations for crewmembers when they are on a trip. Many pilots do not live where they are based and choose to commute. Generally, if pilots need to travel and stay away from home when they are not on a trip, they are responsible for their own accommodations.
Most airlines offer trips that vary between one and four days with overnights ranging from as short as 10 to over 48 hours. These trips will be broken up by days off, again ranging from few to many depending on the particular airline, contract, and line of flying.
However, there is a limit. In the U.S., the maximum retirement age for pilots is currently 65, mirroring the international mandatory retirement age set by the International Civil Aviation Authority.
Family members may fly free when space is available or at discounted rates. Flying stand-by is a common benefit, but it can be challenging when there is a group. Some airlines provide “buddy passes” to pilots to share with friends and families.
While schedules vary from month to month and airline to airline, most airline pilots will work on average half of the month – 14 to 16 days being the norm. This provides ample time for family and outside pursuits.