Friday, February 15, 2008

Minor Change

Due to the misconduct of a few, comment moderation has been enabled.

Unfortunately, someone who had nothing better to do on Valentine's Day decided to leave some crude, ill conceived comments. I don't have the time or desire to feed a troll.

This blog was created first and foremost as a diary of my flight experiences. It is intended solely to preserve memories. If it has entertained or helped anyone along the way, that makes me happy.

I enjoy receiving comments and will add them when received. Comments do not have to be of the same view as mine. All I ask it that they be written in a manner that is respectful to everyone that visits this blog.

Flying is now my job. The first year is a time to pay dues and earn the respect of my peers. If I am good to flying it will be good to me, just like any career.

One of the best things about this blog is the friends I have made along the way. You guys know who you are and I really have enjoyed getting to know you.

If by chance you find yourself annoyed or offended by this blog, please stop visiting.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've been reading your blog for some months now and look forward to every post. I think its always interesting to read about how people get into aviation and the path they take towards becoming professional pilots. Hopefully in a matter of months I'll be joining you in the ranks of the RJ pilots. Keep it up!

Anonymous said...

Mike, thank you for your previous answer. I read the rude comment and was stunned by it, as it was absolutely not deserved. Stay above this, your blog is great, don't worry you have devotees fans that really enjoy looking at your path of career! Keep up the good work and the motivation:)

Anonymous said...

I love you blog. Thank you for writing it.

Here's a question that you've not yet covered and I bet many of us wonder. What's a typical work week like? How many days do you report, and how long each day? How many days away from home?

I know your job is not 9-5 on Monday thru Friday, but what is it like?

-Curious

JAFP said...

Curious,

To briefly answer your question, there is no typical work week. Since I'm a reserve pilot, I go where they say - when they say.

A typical 4 day trip starts and ends in base with three layovers in different cities. A typical trip day is 3-4 legs.

That being said, in the Northeast, no trip is typical. Weather, flow control and maintenance issues often tend to change things. This can affect minimum required rest, make crew members exceed daily duty limitations and more.

I typically get 11-12 days off per month. Some of those days are called hard days, which means they cannot be changed. Four of them are movable.

Duty hours can be very long when on reserve, sometimes exceeding 14 hours.

Commuting to and from your base can keep you away from home quite a bit. Ideally, it's best to live in base. Sometimes, it's just not feasible.

I hope this answers your question.

Mike