Typically, once people learn that I’m an airline pilot, they will ask a similar set of questions. I’m always more than happy to answer them and explain things, but eventually I reach a point where I’ve heard the same question a couple hundred times. So, allow me to answer some of my most frequently asked questions for everyone.

Are you home every night and do you always fly the same route?

Unless I’m off, I’m never home at night. My trips typically last 3-5 days, which consists of 2-4 nights in a hotel. I’ll do anywhere from 3-6 trips in a single month. There are some special scheduling exceptions to this, but those are circumstances that I specifically try to get.

With very little exception, I will never fly the same route twice. My days are always different, both in length and content. One day I can fly from Detroit to La Guardia, then go on to Miami, and end up in Savanna for the night. The next could be as simple as doing Savanna to Indianapolis and ending my day there, just depends on what my schedule ends up being. The only thing I’m guaranteed is that my trip will begin and end in my base city.

Will you be free on the 8th of three months from now?

Unlike most people with a set work week or even a weekly schedule, I bid every month for what I want next month. Based on what I tell the system I want, such as if I desire weekends off, the program we use takes my preferences, compares it to everyone else’s, looks at the flights that need to be covered, and then, in order of seniority, assigns the schedules. Seniority is based on position (Captain or First Officer), aircraft, and base city. The positive side is I know everything I’m doing next month. The negative is that I can’t plan any further out than that and I don’t get my schedule until the 18th of the previous month. Makes buying concert tickets difficult.

Does the captain ever let you fly the airplane?

This is a common misconception. I’m actually flying just as much as the captain is. In flight we perform one of two jobs: pilot flying or pilot monitoring. The pilot flying does just that: flies the airplane. The pilot monitoring also does that, with the added responsibility of running the radios. We alternate who does which job from flight to flight. When I’m flying, I will perform takeoff, in flight navigation, approaches, and landing. So that nice smooth landing you just experienced, don’t assume it was the captain. It could have very well been the first officer.

Do you get to see lots of cool stuff?

As a matter of fact yes, I do. I will always argue that the best seat in the entire aircraft is the very front seat. I get a large panoramic view of the world, all from 34,000 feet. However, the splendor does wear off after a while. You can only see so many clouds before you’ve seen enough. Another downside is that from 34,000 feet the ground loses a lot of definition and detail. I actually miss my days flying little airplanes around at 5,000 feet, when vehicles look like matchbox cars. Now I can’t even see them from so high up. However, I do get to see some awesome sunrises and sunsets. Also, because I’m so far up in the sky, I actually get to see the sunrise first before anyone on the ground gets to, and I get a few extra minutes of sunset.

Is turbulence dangerous for the aircraft?

In a nutshell without getting into some very complicated and convoluted math and physics: no, for the most part. It would have to be very extreme to cause actual damage, and believe me when I say you have not felt extreme turbulence. I’m sure you’ve probably been through some scary stuff, but it can be a lot worse, and the airplane can still handle more.

How far do we drop in turbulence?

Most people think we fall hundreds of feet when we fly through turbulence. The reality is we maybe gain or lose at most 10 feet. Now, the combination of rising and falling definitely makes it feel more dramatic, but we really aren’t moving much. Think of turbulence as driving along a bumpy road. Some bumps are worse than others, but you really aren’t leaving the road, no matter how convinced you are that you became airborne. The essence of turbulence is the changing wind currents. There are rising and falling columns of air in addition to wind that shifts direction and speed in short bursts. This causes differences in the amount of lift the wing produces for just a moment, causing us to bounce along through the sky. Again, we aren’t talking a lot of altitude here. Most of the time it’s more like falling out of bed, not out of the sky. Like a bad road, you just need to get to better areas or get on a different road.

How can you see when we fly through the clouds?

Aviation technology is amazing. It really is. Today, we have GPS systems to navigate with, ground based radio stations that let us hone in on them as a back up, and highly accurate radio systems to let us track directly to a runway to land. Paired with very impressive and reliable instruments to tell us speed, direction, altitude, attitude, and other data, we can easily fly from take off to touchdown without ever seeing outside the aircraft. While outside reference makes it easier for us, flying in the clouds is just another day at the office for an airline pilot. Honestly, I think the ability to do this is awesome and it still keeps getting better!

Have you had to deal with any unruly passengers?

Here’s a cool thing about human beings: most of them are super nice people. Occasionally I’ll encounter people who are rude or feel entitled to the world, but most are just wonderful individuals. I’ve yet to need to remove anyone from the plane, but I’ve come close a couple of times. The issue typically comes down to either the person feels they don’t have to follow the rules because they are better than the rules, or they feel entitled to special treatment for whatever reason. On one occasion, on a flight from Detroit to Traverse City, MI, a gentleman was upset that he was not upgraded to first class and was instead in the intermediate class between first and coach. The flight had originally been for a plane that didn’t have first class but was upgraded to one that did due to a maintenance issue. The gentleman had not purchased a ticket that allowed him to be upgraded and refused to pay for the upgrade himself. His concern was that he wouldn’t get free alcohol. Through his outbursts and then having to deal with him, we were 30 minutes late leaving the gate. The flight time: 27 minutes. So, don’t be that guy, please.

What’s the scariest thing you’ve had happen while flying?

This is a very relative thing and my answer tends to be quite different than people expect. Thunderstorms: I can fly around them. Wind: I can handle a lot of it. Icing: the plane is designed to handle it and has systems to remove it. Turbulence: Michigan roads are way worse. The only things that can make me even remotely nervous is wind shear and runway contamination. Wind shear is a sudden change in wind speed and/or direction. This is the definition of turbulence. However, low to the ground and when we are already slow, a drop in 30 or more knots of airspeed can be trouble. Fortunately, these events are rare, we have precautions against them such as carrying extra speed, and we have procedures to handle it if we encounter it, it simply makes me nervous. Lastly, runway contamination in the form of ice and snow can be a bit anxiety inducing. Airplanes are big and heavy and require the ability to brake just like a car does. Snow and ice make that harder. I’ve never really had a problem, but I’m afraid of skidding off the end of the runway. Fortunately, injury is very unlikely, but the investigation and professional ramifications can be a hassle. However, my main concern is always my passengers’ and crews’ wellbeing. Therefore, we make extra sure that the runway is safe, as clear as it can be, and we have special requirements to ensure a safe landing and stop. Safety is and always will be our top priority.

Conclusion

I hope this clears up any questions you may have had as you’ve learned about me as a pilot as well as found some of it at least a little interesting. In coming posts, I will likely be offering some of my favorite stories from my time on the line for everyone’s entertainment. Aviation is a wonderful industry and I love my job immensely and am always happy to share my experiences.

Until next time!