Give me a break

Our Pilot Union and the Company have reached a tentative agreement for our new pilot contract that has been under negotiation for over 12 months now. The basic contents of the agreement and what the pilots were actually asking for were published by the Associated Press, and of course a comment thread was started regarding it. One of the biggest items we were pushing the company for was more days off. Right now, we are only guaranteed 11 days a month. We are pushing for at least 14. Now, we did not succeed in this front, which is frustrating the majority of the pilot group. The comments people have left regarding this though blow my mind.

This is one comment: "...pilots are just whining. I only get 2 days off a week so why should they get more? I think pilots should be paid less and quit their complaining."

Now, personally, I would like this guy to go play leapfrog with a unicorn (see last post if you are confused), but many people echoed this mentality. Let me break it down for all you out there that cannot seem to understand reality:

There are 168 hours in a week. The average 4 day trip has me away from home for 83 hours. I am then home for 2 days off, then I am gone again, which means in that 168 hours, I am gone for an average of 104 of them NOT INCLUDING the time it takes me to get to and from work. Which factoring that in, I am only home 58 hours a week. That's it.

The average person who works 40 hours a week plus one hour a day commuting means they are gone 45 hours a week. Which means you are home 120+ hours a week. 120 vs. 58...see the difference? Oh, and you are home everyday. You get to sleep in your own bed and see your family, eat home cooked meals, etc.

Now, it may sound like I am complaining, and I am truly not. I love what I do. Pilots have to love what they do to keep the hours we do. I am merely trying to make the ignorant people who cannot understand why we would possibly like an additional 72 hours A MONTH home grasp that idea. So pull your head out of wherever you like to keep it and instead of bashing the pilots who are the reason who are able to fly safely across the state / country / world, you could try supporting them.

Oh, and if you don't believe me, just ask any pilot's spouse and see if they are home enough. I can guarantee you that 99% will say not even close.