Airline Pilot Work Life Balance Explained

In this episode of Runway Life, Craig sits down with Andrew Barton, a legacy airline First Officer soon upgrading to Captain, to talk honestly about what airline pilot work-life balance is really like.

We cover the topics pilots and their families care about most:

• What airline schedules look like early vs later in your career
• How seniority directly affects quality of life
• The reality of marriage and family life as an airline pilot
• Flying on holidays, weekends, and birthdays
• How upgrading to Captain changes schedule flexibility
• What aspiring airline pilots don’t realize about long-term lifestyle

This is a candid conversation for:

• Pilots considering the airline career path
• Spouses and families wanting to understand the lifestyle
• CFIs and commercial pilots thinking long-term about quality of life

If you’ve ever wondered whether the airline job is “worth it” beyond the paycheck, this episode gives you a real-world look from someone living it.