This is something that’s been bugging me, so I’d love to hear from any current airline pilots on this matter. Is it lonely always flying with somebody new? Is it lonely when you get to a destination and don’t have friends to hang out with but instead coworkers you just met?
I think I’m asking this because currently I’ve been in a band for the last 9 years, and we’ve done decent for ourselves, but we’ve never made enough money to really support a family (hence the career change now). The cool thing about being in a band is the camaraderie/spending time with best friends, and from what I’ve gathered there really isn’t a lot of that as an airline pilot.
It changes. I can only speak for myself but the level/amount of camaraderie can vary greatly depending on the crew. There are friendly crews and less than friendly crews. Some pilots/FAs you’ll get along with and want to spend down time with, others you won’t. Personally I have no problem being by myself and sometimes prefer it, other times it’s nice to have company. Honestly a big part of that for me is I don’t drink. I’m not opposed to it but it seems to be a BIG part of many peoples lives and they can’t seem to be social without it. Just not my thing so again I often chose to do my own thing. Other times I have had some great overnights with some amazing crews. I guess the answer again is it depends.
Gotcha! When you speak of crews, are there crews of FA’s that are typically placed together on a flight, or is each crew a new mix of FA’s and pilots? You pretty much always fly with a new FO, right?
First, I want to point out that there’s a difference between loneliness and solitude. Loneliness is marked by a sense of isolation. That’s not good. Solitude is the state of being alone without being lonely and can lead to self awareness. If you’re capable of finding fulfillment in solitude, then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
The dynamics of ever-changing crews is very different than the dynamics of a band. The key is understanding that people and things don’t make you happy. You make you happy. So, don’t put so much emphasis on the camaraderie because you won’t be able to hand select your crew.
The trip that I am on right now, for example. I’m on day 3 of 4 at the moment. Day 1 and 2 I flew with a senior captain that’s retiring in 5 months. Day 3 and 4 I’ll fly with a junior captain. I have the same flight attendants for all four days. If I had to choose between the two captains, I would rather fly with the junior captain, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy flying with the senior captain. I just had to be more creative to find ways to enjoy our time together. As for the flight attendants, we get along great. We walked through Balboa Park together on day 1 and went out for BBQ this afternoon. Right now, I’m enjoying some down time in my room. I have 12 more hours until we have to begin day 4 of our trip and I’ll probably keep myself busy responding to emails, reading, and getting a quick workout in.
So, as you can see this trip has a little bit of everything, but I have found ways to enjoy it as much as I can.
There is certainly a camaraderie amongst airline pilots, but I am sure it is not anywhere near the level that band mates have. On some level, most pilots have similar backgrounds and goals, so that makes for easy conversation. Some people chose to hang out with other pilots on overnights, I generally do not. I feel like after eight hours together in a cockpit, I have discussed all their is to discuss and thus do not need additional time together. Some pilots are at the other end of the spectrum and prefer to eat together every meal. It really just depends on the crew.