ONE WEEK IN THE LIFE OF AN AIRLINE PILOT

Summary

In this video, Paul, an airline pilot and travel enthusiast, invites viewers to join him during six days of reserve duty. He explains the different types of on-call schedules he faces, including long-call, short-call, and field standby. As a newly promoted junior captain, Paul shares his journey, including standby time, securing a London flight, and exploring the city. He takes viewers on a tour of London, visits the O2 Arena, and gives a behind-the-scenes look at the pilot crew rest area on a Boeing 767. The video ends with Paul enjoying time with his family and preparing for his next round of on-call duty.

Takeaways

• ✈️ The speaker, Paul, is an airline pilot and was recently promoted to captain, which came with new responsibilities but a drop in seniority.
• 🏨 As a junior captain, Paul is now on reserve duty, where he has to be ready for flights at short notice, such as long call, field standby, and short call reserves.
• 📅 Paul's short call reserve means he has to be near the Newark airport, ready to respond within two and a half hours if called for duty.
• 🌍 Paul's reserve shifts last for six days, and he's sharing his experience through a six-day vlog, hoping to squeeze in some exciting layovers.
• 💼 On his second day of reserve, Paul picked up a trip to London, providing him with over 33 hours of layover time in the city.
• 🗺️ In London, Paul visited the O2 Arena and climbed its roof for a 360-degree view of the city, offering some trivia about Greenwich and Zulu time.
• 🛫 After enjoying his layover, Paul flew back to Newark on a Boeing 767, where he gave a quick tour of the crew rest area and took a short break during the flight.
• 👋 After landing in Newark, Paul missed a connecting flight home due to it being spring break but managed to get on a later flight.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Paul enjoyed some family time after returning from his trip, marking the end of his six-day reserve duty.
• 🔜 Paul will start another six days of reserve duty next week, inviting viewers to subscribe and follow along for his next adventures.

Q & A

What is Paul's profession?

Paul is an airline pilot who recently upgraded to the position of captain.

What are the three types of reserve Paul mentions in the video?

The three types of reserve are long call reserve (12-hour callout), field standby (where he has to sit at the airport), and short call reserve (where he must be ready to get to the airport within two and a half hours).

What responsibilities came with Paul's new role as a captain?

Although he flies the same cities and airplane, his new role comes with additional responsibilities, such as managing flights and crew coordination.

How does Paul's seniority change after becoming a captain?

Paul goes from being a senior first officer with the flexibility to choose trips and days off to a junior captain, which places him on reserve.

Why is Paul staying at an airport hotel during short call reserve?

Paul stays at an airport hotel because during short call reserve, he has only two and a half hours to get to the airport, which is easier if he’s close by in Newark rather than in Minneapolis.

What trip did Paul pick up during his reserve shift?

Paul picked up a trip to London, which is a three-day trip, giving him over 33 hours in London.

What is Paul’s plan for the sixth day of his reserve schedule?

Since international trips require 24 hours of rest, Paul anticipates having the sixth day off after returning from London, as he wouldn’t be called for any more flights that day.

What adventure did Paul plan during his layover in London?

Paul planned to hike to the roof of the O2 Arena as part of the 'Up at the O2' experience, which offers a 360-degree view of the city.

How are pilot breaks managed on long-haul flights like Paul's trip from London to Newark?

On long-haul flights, pilot breaks are split evenly. For example, on the seven-hour flight from London to Newark, each of the three pilots had a two-hour break.

What did Paul do after returning to Newark from London?

After landing in Newark, Paul gave a cockpit tour to a future pilot named Lily, then tried to catch a flight back to Minneapolis, where he ultimately secured a seat on a later United flight.