Domestic and regional or short-haul airline pilots average 3 to 4 flights per day. International or long-haul pilots average less as their flights are much longer.
Pilots Call them “Legs”
This question came not from a passenger but from my wife. She often asks, “How many flights do you have today?” We call flights “legs.” The number of legs depends upon the airline, the route, and sometimes the season.
Want to learn more pilot speak?
View our Pilot to Human Dictionary
All airline pilots are limited by FAA flight and duty time regulations called Part 117. Part 117 also specifies how much we can fly annually and guarantees days off. Charter pilots also have limits, but the regulations are a but different. In addition to regulations, Union Contracts can further limit our duty time.
For the flying I do, I am limited to 9 hours of flying time per day and 13 hours of duty time (15 hours if I agree to an extension).
Flights Per Month and Average Flight Length
To answer the question, I totaled a recent month from my pilot logbook in the table below. The data represents a typical short-haul airline pilot schedule. I averaged 3.4 flights per day. I flew 47 flights in the month, averaging approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes (1:45) per flight. I was at the airport or “at work” for 139 hours and away from base or “away from home” for 214 hours.
I work for an airline with relatively dense pilot schedules. Although, most airlines are becoming this way. In other words, my averages differ slightly from others.
| Day | Legs | Duty (Time at Work) | Hours (Time in the Air) |
| 4th | 4 | 10:38 | 6.3 |
| 5th | 2 | 8:59 | 6.8 |
| 6th | 3 | 10:14 | 7.5 |
| 9th | 3 | 9:17 | 3.6 |
| 11th | 3 | 10:15 | 6.6 |
| 12th | 2 | 8:07 | 5.8 |
| 13th | 3 | 10:05 | 7.7 |
| 15th | 4 | 10:51 | 5.4 |
| 19th | 3 | 10:48 | 6.5 |
| 20th | 3 | 9:04 | 5.2 |
| 21st | 5 | 11:45 | 7.3 |
| 23rd | 4 | 8:41 | 4.3 |
| 25th | 3 | 9:51 | 7.0 |
| 30th | 5 | 10:20 | 4.8 |
| Total: | 47 | 138:55 | 84.8 |
How do pilots log their flights?
Pilots have logbooks. When you first start as a pilot, you carefully log every flight hour. Each pilot certificate and rating has minimum hour requirements. In addition to flight hours, pilots log day and night landings, instrument approaches, time in type, etc.
Pilots may be less diligent in logging every flight hour right away as pilots achieve a high number of flight hours. Many senior pilots log every flight, while others log the minimum to meet the requirements. However, pilots must log enough flight time to meet currency and recent experience requirements. Airlines also keep track of pilots’ hours to ensure they have the legal minimum to operate upcoming flights.
Pilots and their airlines share a joint responsibility to ensure they only fly up to their allotted hours and are provided their minimum rest.
Are pilot logbooks actual paper books?
Above is a picture of one of my old paper logbooks. Although still available for purchase, I no longer use a paper logbook. I, along with many pilots, use an electronic logbook.
I have an app on my smartphone that makes logging flights in real time easy and is much more accurate and secure than paper. I use LogTen Pro by Coradine. I have been happy with thier product. This is not a sponsored post.
The other added benefit of electronic logbooks is the reporting. Many pilots log their flights in real time to audit their pay slips. Using reports from an electronic logbook makes pay audits easy to perform.
Want to learn more about pilots get paid?
Read this article for more details.
My Flying News 
Leave a comment