Searching a Trivia Answer
Mar 23, 2005 | 10:47 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2003
Location: EDI
Programs: KL, BA
Posts: 360
Searching a Trivia Answer
very straightforward but can't locate a plausible answer (to conclude a pub argument)... what are the average flying hours a commercial pilot does in a year?
i know it get's difficult to answer depending on domestic or long haul pilots, but "on average", what sounds plausible? 1,000 per yr, 1,500 per year sort of ball park. even a range would be useful.
"we" got discussing how many hours we each flew last year and i thought i was busting some to reach 250 hours "in the air", only to find the odd colleague who simply laughed at this being on the low side. so, duly chastised of course but it then led to the above as yet unanswered question.
i know it get's difficult to answer depending on domestic or long haul pilots, but "on average", what sounds plausible? 1,000 per yr, 1,500 per year sort of ball park. even a range would be useful.
"we" got discussing how many hours we each flew last year and i thought i was busting some to reach 250 hours "in the air", only to find the odd colleague who simply laughed at this being on the low side. so, duly chastised of course but it then led to the above as yet unanswered question.
Mar 23, 2005 | 11:58 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: NYC
Posts: 927
Originally Posted by Seachain
very straightforward but can't locate a plausible answer (to conclude a pub argument)... what are the average flying hours a commercial pilot does in a year?
i know it get's difficult to answer depending on domestic or long haul pilots, but "on average", what sounds plausible? 1,000 per yr, 1,500 per year sort of ball park. even a range would be useful.
"we" got discussing how many hours we each flew last year and i thought i was busting some to reach 250 hours "in the air", only to find the odd colleague who simply laughed at this being on the low side. so, duly chastised of course but it then led to the above as yet unanswered question.
i know it get's difficult to answer depending on domestic or long haul pilots, but "on average", what sounds plausible? 1,000 per yr, 1,500 per year sort of ball park. even a range would be useful.
"we" got discussing how many hours we each flew last year and i thought i was busting some to reach 250 hours "in the air", only to find the odd colleague who simply laughed at this being on the low side. so, duly chastised of course but it then led to the above as yet unanswered question.
That said, US pilots cannot fly more than 100 hours/month and are also capped at 30 hours/7 days - someone correct me if I'm wrong. Each carrier's labor contract might also have additional limitations as well. Flight attendants have no cap set by the FAA, and a few nutty souls do fly well over 200 hours/month - though most are well below that in the 80-100hr/mo range, and many fly far less than that.
Mar 23, 2005 | 3:00 pm
#3
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Join Date: May 2002
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US Bureau of Labor Statistics
"By law, airline pilots cannot fly more than 100 hours a month or more than 1,000 hours a year. Most airline pilots fly an average of 75 hours a month and work an additional 75 hours a month performing nonflying duties. Most pilots have a variable work schedule, working several days on, then several days off. Most spend a considerable amount of time away from home because the majority of flights involve overnight layovers. When pilots are away from home, the airlines provide hotel accommodations, transportation between the hotel and airport, and an allowance for meals and other expenses. Airlines operate flights at all hours of the day and night, so work schedules often are irregular. Flight assignments are based on seniority."
So they "fly" 900 hours a year. That should be at least close to your "in the air" question - give or take taxi, wait, etc. time.
For a few years, I was doing transcons each week, plus the occasional side trip, which adds up to about 500 hours a year.
"By law, airline pilots cannot fly more than 100 hours a month or more than 1,000 hours a year. Most airline pilots fly an average of 75 hours a month and work an additional 75 hours a month performing nonflying duties. Most pilots have a variable work schedule, working several days on, then several days off. Most spend a considerable amount of time away from home because the majority of flights involve overnight layovers. When pilots are away from home, the airlines provide hotel accommodations, transportation between the hotel and airport, and an allowance for meals and other expenses. Airlines operate flights at all hours of the day and night, so work schedules often are irregular. Flight assignments are based on seniority."
So they "fly" 900 hours a year. That should be at least close to your "in the air" question - give or take taxi, wait, etc. time.
For a few years, I was doing transcons each week, plus the occasional side trip, which adds up to about 500 hours a year.