Crashpads
 

few questions about crashpads: is this a place where pilots actually live or just stay in if they are a commuter? How much are they typically, is it like an apartment lease or does it depend? If you are a commuter, is a crashpad something you would use while on reserve or if you have an early morning show and have to fly in the night before? Is this a place you can stop by and stay at once in a while or do you have to use them consistantly? How do you find good ones versus bad ones? Just wondering cause I've heard the term used a lot and not sure what to look for.

It's hard to categorize a crashpad into anything other than it's a place where multiple flight crewmembers spend the night.

From there, crashpads vary to each extreme. To stay true to the term crashpad, I would define it as a place (such as an condo, townhome, or house) that is solely used by crewmembers for short term stays. The number of crewmembers might be as low as the number of bedrooms (although I really don't think of that as a crashpad), to as high as 20 or 30 people.

The cheapest crashpads usually have multiple beds set up and keep the rent cheap (100-200/month), and have short term "leases" like month to month.

The best way to find crashpads is to ask around with other crewmembers or by hunting bulletin boards around the crewroom or training center.

okay so there are different types......my situation is I'm going to be commuting and will need to find a place where I can spend my reserve time as well as stay at on trips where I have an early morning show and will have to fly in the previous night

Your best bet is to ask around the training center about crashpads. Captains and other pilots will have an idea of where to stay. They vary greatly from airline to airline and city to city... most crashpads have allowances for reserve (generally a slightly higher rent).

In addition to crew room bulletin boards you can also search online (although some sites charge)... check the union boards or www.crashpads.com

Lindy---wait until you're actually an airline pilot and not a "trainee" and you'll find out that there are probably more vacancies for crashpads than there are pilots wanting to pay $2-300/mo. Even if you found one now---you have several months until you're really in the market for a crashpad. They're popular for guys commuting on reserve, but at my airline a lot of guys (i.e. with four-4 days/month) will spend the money on a hotel just cause they don't want to stay with 16 other people in a 2 bedroom apartment/IKEA bunk bed and it doesn't cost that much more.

Also try www.crewcommute.com

I agree with you, that’s why I'm asking the questions now. All I did was asked what they were and how to go about finding one. I'm definitely not in the market yet. Thanks for the info :)

Aside from commuters only, how often do you see in-domicile-living pilots sharing a house or large apartment together just to save money during their single FO years??

Very common if you want to live in domicile. It works well because you get more "living space" than you pay for.... some of your roomies are always on a trip.

The problem living with non-pilots, is they expect you to pay your full share of utilities even though you're gone half the time. I actually bailed on an arrangement like that where the house had a cleaning and garbage rotation...I was gone for three weeks, and came back to find that my roomies had saved up the cleaning and trash for me since I missed my duty week. Of course I wasn't even there to contribute to the mess. I moved out immediately, without doing any cleaning :mad:

!!!!!WARNING!!!!

Do NOT be the person who puts down a deposit if you can help it! If you MUST, collect your share before you leave!! I was chased down four years after I left the crash pad to make me pay for a months lost rent when the guys just vacated the place without paying rent! I paid $400 just so it wouldn't go to collections! I tracked down a few of the guys (who I didn't even know) and they jsut said, "sorry, man."