Originally Posted by
Jetlife
Home every night is a funny thing. In OAK (now HWD) the Metro on Monday would have a 0330 show, and be home at 7pm. Tues-Friday a 630 show. The plane was also usually not in base, but stuck in SFO. Sometimes you would drive to SFO, then repo the plane to OAK/HWD, or sometimes it would be the opposite. The old base manager would try and make you take bart from SFO to OAK, miserable! So an hour drive both ways, do the math. How much time are you really at home? How high is the quality of time at home when you are dog tired, you get home at 8pm or later, and have to wake up at 4am. Granted milage with the turbine runs really varies base to base. I just laugh every time I hear the "home every night" brag. I read it as "home for 8 or less hours a night, and in the day you stay in a dilapidated crew apt 5 days a week" How is that a better QOL than being put in nice hotels, and having real quality days off at home?
It takes a lot of seniority to get what you want in most 135 freight gigs I'll give you that, but the turnover rates are generally high and your turn at bat comes pretty fast. These guys would not be doing it if it wasn't working for them and nobody is holding them to it. The idea the only gig in town is regional airline flying with a dim hope of making the majors is something to question also. Part 135 freight does tend to be at night, much of it is right after dusk and a bit before dawn which is not that radical. Some do fly in the dead of night, but I actually know guys who like that and actually want to do it. For a few hours of flying each day, far less than any regional airline schedule, they get a decent amount of QOL in return. And would you rather sit in a different hotel suite than the same crew house set up with your stuff in it?