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How much general aviation flying do airline pilots do?

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Researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are looking for instrument-rated pilots and airline pilots to help with their research.

The researchers are trying to obtain information on the amount and type of non-revenue flying for pleasure in general aviation aircraft is undertaken by instrument-rated private pilots and airline pilots.

If you fly one of these (or something similar) for your day job, and a personal aircraft for fun, Embry-Riddle has a couple of questions for you. Image by Bilal EL-Daou from Pixabay

“Such information, combined with light aircraft accident data, could lead to improved general aviation safety for either, or both, private and/or airline pilots,” the researchers say. 

The questionnaire takes about five minutes to complete, the researchers note.

All responses will be anonymous with no personal information, other than age, collected. No one other than the researchers will have access to any of the responses.

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Comments

  1. One of my friends is an Airline Captain but loves to fly his sailplane (glider) on weekends. I think thix makes him a superb all around pilot.

  2. I for one can’t wait to get into my Husky as soon as I get home from my airline trip.

  3. The 3 airline pilots and 2 charter pilots that I know fly RV’s and certified aircraft . But they’re also members of our EAA chapter, so there is probably some ‘self-selection’.

  4. I think the real trick of a study like this would be to somehow extricate those airline flights that required extra-ordinary airmanship (meaning, not ordinary, but not necessarily extraordinary). Then see if those pilots are GA flyers, too.

    • In my experience being close to two equal professional airline pilots I believe the GA involved pilot is probably a better pilot…. “better” meaning actually flying the airplane by manipulating the controls. However, whether that’s important as an airline pilot or not probably has quite a bit of room for discussion.

  5. I have 2 brothers who are both 777 captains for 2 different airlines. One loves GA and flies his Cessna 180 any chance he gets, the other loathes GA and wouldn’t even think of getting in a small airplane anymore. That I believe sums it up pretty well.