Ask Captain Lim ~ All about Aviation - How is a pilot's schedule in a day?

My dream is to be a Captain in a major Airlines and I have a few questions:-

1. What is a pilot's schedule like? Do you leave home for a few days or do you work a certain number of hours and then return home on the same day ?

2. How many hours a day do pilots usually work?

3. Which Flying School would you recommend for a full pilots license (Private to Commercial and ATP)?

Tuane J Greiner

Hi Tuane,

Here are the answers to your questions:

1. A pilot's schedule is dependent on what fleet (airplane) he is flying and whether he operates on International or domestic routes. If he flies domestically, then he is unlikely to be away from home very often. Sometimes, he is home on the same day if he flies on daily shuttles or to nearer destinations. If he is on International flights, he may be away from home longer than usual.

2. Again, this would be based on whether he is flying internationally or domestically. On an average, a pilot can fly as short as 2 hours to as long as 8 hours a day, depending on how long is the duration of the journey. There are many rules governing flying times, such as when you start your flying duties, whether in the early hours of the mornings or on a comfortable office-hours timing, etc.

3. I cannot really recommend any flying schools to you to acquire a PPL, CPL or ATP license because I do not know where you are from. You can get a better recommendation on which school to go to from the Civil Aviation Department in your country.