My Recent Flying Experience

Recently I traveled on a small commuter airline and had one of the best flying experiences ever. First off this airline doesn't have a co-pilot so they allowed me to ride shotgun on the flight. I brought my headset along and had the opportunity to chat with the pilot for over an hour. He really shed some light on the commuter life and working for a small airline. The pilot broke down the positives and negatives of flying for a commuter. Here is a brief summary of what he said.


Pros

• He is home every night and flies out of the same airport every morning. 
• Works 4 days on and 3 days off (pro or con)
• Pay is over 2x what a F/O at a regional is
• Opportunity to move routes every 6 months
• Build PIC hours
• Other pilots respect 
• Free air travel on major airlines 

Cons

• Flying the same route can get boring.
• Flies all day when working 
• Wiped after working 14-16 hours
• Pay plateaus after a few years
• Being the only pilot can be tough
• Older planes with no glass cockpit 

The young pilot was very encouraging and happy with his job. It made me feel even better about my decision to become a pilot. No job is perfect but seeing someone happy in what is considered the harder years of aviation (first 5-10 years starting off) gave me even more confidence. I would like to be sitting in the shoes of this pilot in the next few years. I hope this is encouraging for those young pilots like myself getting into the industry.