If I had to guess, I’d say at least 60%+ of UPS pilots commute (including this one). The MIA and ONT domiciles are small and most of those pilots probably live in domicile (because they were already living there).
A lot of UPS trips start and finish with a commercial ticket to/from the aircraft. The ticket is always to/from SDF, but we have some flexibility in changing that ticket so you can get from your home to the aircraft (and vice versa).
Rockford is not a pilot domicile. Some of the aircraft there do go to SDF, but they also go to many other places (ANC, BDL, JFK, EWR, LAN, MCI, ONT, and others).
It’s realistic to live wherever you like. You just have to understand that the industry is dynamic. You might be on reserve as a new hire for 5 years while your buddy who was hired 3 years before you sat reserve for 2 months. While on reserve, you will have to be in domicile and have a crash pad. I’m on reserve and commute from my home to SDF. I spend anywhere from 4 to 16 days in a row (or more if you’re not careful) in the crash pad. You’re given a 24-hour break every 7 days to make these long stretches legal.
It’s all a matter of what’s important to you. If you have kids or don’t care where you live, move to SDF. Every day you don’t get used on reserve is like an extra day-off. If you have no desire to live in SDF (like me
bear in mind that you won’t be junior forever and deal with reserve and the commute until you can hold a line. Once you’re a line holder, commuting becomes much less painful, though it’s never as convenient as living in domicile.
Tipsy