Originally Posted by
Sunvox
I recently went from 777FO to A320 CA in EWR. I couldn't be happier.
For me there were 2 primary issues. 1) There are a large percentage of captains in EWR on the 777 that are not enjoyable to fly with. 2) I found that I did not recover well from working on the back side of the clock which is what virtually every trip does on the 777 in EWR.
Most FOs on the 777 in EWR seemed to have no trouble switching back and forth in time zones, but I was not one of them. It really took a toll on my body. I already sleep better and feel better after only 2 months on the A320 flying trips that start after 7AM and finish by 10PM, and my May schedule has 17 days off and 78 hours. On the 777 I bid TLV and worked 12 days for 78 hours. I'm working 1 day more for the same hours but I'm infinitely happier. Just one dude's experience
I'm about 60-70% on the 777 and would be about the same on the bus unless the seniority of the awarded bid is drastic.
I've been on the 777 for something like 7 years and the 757 doing Europe for the same before that. While I do adjust to the time zones ok, I like the idea of not venturing too far from the home time zone for a bit to see how my body does.
I don't want to take a pay cut to do it, though. I'm curious as to what the average, 50-70% line holder does in a year when it's all said and done.