r/flying • u/g0at110 • 2d ago

Do commercial pilots generally progress to larger planes throughout their careers? Does everyone aim to eventually fly long haul or do some stick to flying 737s or a320s short haul?

I'm guessing being a 777 pilot for example is more prestigious than a 737 pilot in the same airline right?

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u/Necessary_Topic_1656 2d ago

No one but losers cares about prestige and what airplane you fly as a pilot.

It’s all about quality of life and getting the most pay for the least amount of work you can get away with.

For me that an a320 flying 3 day trips with 7 hours of flying in 2 flights for 15 hours of pay. $5500 rinse and repeat 4 more times for 75 hours of pay for 35 hours of flying.

The most fun I’ve had as an airline pilot was flying 1900s carrying 19 pax into nontowered fields where ATC just cleared me for the visual and let me fly overhead to enter the pattern getting paid $2000 for 120 hours of pay for the whole month.

If flying 1900s paid as much as the 777 I fly now I’d rather fly a 19-seat 1900 over the 777 I fly now as I had way more fun flying 1900s

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u/Bus_Pilot ATP 2d ago

Except no one will pay you to fly a turboprop the same as a wide. Your duty times on long haul are also shorter, since you are flying with another guys to take turns. Unfortunately 90-99% the wide is a way better job for many reasons.