How much does a Corporate Pilot work?

Now that the year has almost come to a close, I have taken a look back at my past year of flying with some interesting results. I am paid on salary so I still get paid the same no matter how much I actually work. Also, keep in mind that the average person working 40 hours per week ends up working about 2000 hours per year.

Total Flying Hours: 482.7

This is the actual amount of time I was in an aircraft. This is about typical for our company. We normally average around 500-700 hours per year. The maximum a pilot can fly in a year is 1200 hours. There are companies out there that you can max out your flying time per year, but I really enjoy the type of flying we do and I'm willing to make the sacrifice of less flying time to take in the rest of the benefits.

Total Duty Hours: 840.5

This is the time spent working as calculated by 1 hour prior to the departure time and 20 mins after landing. This also includes anytime in between flights during the same day where we might be holding and waiting for clients.

Total Away Hours: 2520

This is the time that I spent away from home base (Calgary). It includes the totally duty hours but also now accounts for layovers and business trips. This includes every hour I was away on long layovers, even while in Vancouver on those lucky trips, and also includes the 3 weeks I spent in Dallas on my jet training course.

So, in brief summary, my total duty hours of 840.5 would be the number to compare to the average work year of a 9-5'er. I spent less than half that time actually working, and quite often I don't consider what I do for a living as work either. I did however spend over 2500hrs away from home base. So technically, I did have more work related time then the 9-5'er, but I don't mind being in some of the nice destinations we go to, it's almost like mini vacations.

People are always telling me that they couldn't handle the type of lifestyle I have. They prefer to know in advance what they'll be doing, so they can have a more scheduled life and can plan accordingly. I however am at a point in my life where I have the luxury of being able to jump all over the place. There will be a time in the not so distant future where I'll want to settle down a bit more, but for now, I'm enjoying my time hopping around North America and beyond.