I too am on reserve.

5 days of reserve followed by 2 off, and one 4 day-off stretch a month. It is a 2 hour call out so I can sit reserve at the place I have near the airport. They rarely ever call. I would say I fly about maybe 15-20 hours a month, if that. Nice if you live in base because you don't really mind. But not nice if you are trying to make some money and move on in life. The flying is great, but like another poster mentioned almost everything else sucks. I was all happy and excited when I first started, the regionals will ruin you... though nowadays the majors arent that much better.

For me, I would be able to turn a blind eye to a lot of it if I was paid for it. I can't believe nobody mentioned the poverty level wages yet. After taxes, sitting around all week I make roughly 1,450$ a month. Try living off that, especially if you have debt and bills to pay off, or even a family. It will make you want to drive your head through a wall. If I got paid at least even 2,500$ a month, I probably wouldnt notice some of the things I do, and they wouldnt bother me as much as they do at 1,450. So for me the poverty level wages is the biggest issue I have, and it should be for many more then it is. The rest of the stuff I could live with if I made more.

But when I do get called I am happy to go to work, and I forget about all the rest of the BS even for at least a couple of hours. Sitting around for a week you have a lot of time to think about things.