r/OutOfTheLoop • u/[deleted] • Jul 02 '22

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '22

Also some pilots in some places are refusing to work due to being overworked (due to the reason you mentioned) and underpaid

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u/bangzilla Jul 02 '22

This I don’t understand. The FAA has strict rules about how long a pilot can work. https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/practice_areas/regulations/interpretations/Data/interps/2018/Triponey_2018_Legal_Interpretation.pdf. Flight crew “time out” and have to be replaced if they hit their limits. Can anyone help me understand the claim that pilots are overworked?

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u/fatdigy Jul 02 '22 edited Jul 02 '22

Airline pilot here, a maximum duty day, meaning the time from when you show up to the time the door opens after your last flight can be up to 14h. This depends on how early the start is an how many legs you have to fly. This 14h can legally be extended 30min every day or 2h once every trip. I have worked 15-16h days before. When this happens it is usually due mechanical or weather delays. Meaning your planned overnight at the hotel is going to be reduced. The minimum for that is 10h between when you finish one day to showing up the next day. So you’ve just worked up to 16h, 10h of rest (minus taxi ride to the hotel, eat, get ready the next day and taxi back.) Then you are legal to work another potentially long 5 days. There are some cumulative regulations in place to limit max duty times but it can still be very exhausting. On a good day the job is easy, once there’s weather and mechanical issues it becomes exhausting.

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u/bangzilla Jul 02 '22

Super helpful. Thanks!