Originally Posted by
Guppydriver95
In the interest of “fair and balanced” reporting, we can’t minimize the impact of continuous back side of the clock flying. As someone who has done both, and currently flying the guppy, I got my arse handed to me by Europe flying. Waking up at 1am body time to come home was tough, and it definitely takes a toll on you. Yes, the Guppy is busy, but it’s busy during normal business hours. (At least at my seniority-I realize some get stuck with ANF to Bogota, Quito etc). As many have stated, having options is good. We can fly trips like Fedex, Southwest, and everything in between.
Circadian rhythm disruptions and high levels of solar radiation over the poles is something we all should acknowledge with regards to the easy life of a WB pilot as well. Sure it’s nice getting paid to nap for up to half of the flight, and the flying is often far more chilled than domestic, but it poses a serious long term health concern. And let’s also be real that while it sounds great in theory to have these long breaks during flight, is the sleep ever really that good? I know crossing the equator of getting slammed with moderate turbulence halfway across the Pacific leads to poor sleep if any for me.
But again, that’s what is awesome about United. We can chose what works best for each of us.