How long does each shift or flight last for?

How long does each shift or flight last for?

Ian Pullin (Retired British Airways Pilot) gives expert video advice on: How much can a successful airline pilot earn?; Do you sleep on a very long flight?; What happens if a passenger becomes seriously ill in mid air? and more...

On the very longest sectors, you have two full crews. You could do basically half of the flight each, but the person who takes the aircraft off, whether it be the co-pilot or the captain, will be expected to land it. On other sectors, you just have three crew, and on the very shorter sectors like New York, you have two crew. There's no time for breaks on that. With three crew, you get a period away from the controls - about three hours.