Actually hang out with other pilots you work with when you're not flying? I havent gotten into the industry yet, but i was wondering if you're actually able to maintain friends within the airline when you're paired up with a different crew every trip.

 

Sure you can make friends. I see them here and there. Just give a call when in the area kind of thing. I barely have enough free time as it is currently so I don't get to see all my friends as much as I'd like.

 

LoL my only friends are Pilots...Seriously!

 

I hang out with high school teachers, they drink more than pilots

Some of em are pretty cute, too

 

You'd be surprised how small the pilot world really is. You'll make lifelong friends, and bump into them time and time again over your career...in the strangest places...

And the way seniority works, you sometimes end up flying with the same group of guys who like to bid the same kinds of trips you bid, and who are about the same seniority in their seat as you are in yours.

So, yeah, you do hang out when not flying...as long as your wife's not around....

 

Wow don't keep in touch with those from home? I only see each group of friends about once ever three weeks. It's like a rotation. I haven't seen the college gang in a while so I'm sure this next week will be their turn lol.

 

most of my friends are pilots, although my older (from younger years) friends aren't, it seems the ones i'm hanging out with most are. Our schedules are close to the same, our seniority all sucks, so we get the days we can when we can. As far as friends outside of flying, once they get over the fact that your schedule shifts and rotates and isn't anything like "theirs" then you'll be able to find time to hang out with them as well....just gotta work @ it.

 

Most of my friends are pilots, just not airline pilots. I'm on the rotation deal too. You catch up when you can. I have lots of friends that I haven't seen or spoken to in 6-9 months then bump into or randomly call. Keeps those contacts as they spread through the industry. You never know when you'll need to call in a favor.

 

I have many friends that are pilots, but they're all people who I knew/met before I came to the airlines. Some of us all ended up at the same airline (XJT) but I knew them all before we ended up here. I haven't made any new friends since I got here (with the exception of my sim partner). Its tough when the company is large like this one, and you could go for years and not fly with the same crew twice. On overnights I increasingly find myself going off by myself and doing my own thing. Sadly, a great number (but certainly not all) of the crews I fly with I don't really care to hang out with. The thing is even if you get along with somebody, chances are good that with all the commuters you both live in totally different parts of the country. My advice: hang on to the friends you have now, because its very tough to make new ones once you get out on the line.

 

I have to agree with this post. Its sad to say but it is true of working for a large airline like this and with all the commuters. I've got an uncle who has worked for Delta for 20 some-odd years and he says its even more pronounced when you get to the majors. There are a few crews I have flown with and had a blast with and still get together and talk with in the crew room or terminal or if we run into each other at a hotel. But as far as lifelong friends...eh, not really. Theres also a few people I've run into that I went to college with but again, same deal...you might see each other once a year. I would say the closest friends I have that are pilots are the guys from my newhire class and my good friends from college who have since scattered around the country to different airlines.