doober

Pretty much sums up my take on it as well. It was fun years ago, and I'd recommend it to anyone who hasn't done it before...at least for a couple of years and see if it fits your personality.

awax

Sounds like a solid failure of the SSC if you ask me. But seriously, what does it say about quality of life in the left seat when 40% of the (active) SFO 787 FO awards went to 756 Captains down bidding?

worstpilotever

No, sorry, I can’t imagine living in the east bay or the Central Valley. The foothills would be ok, but then the drive would drive me bonkers. I am in Marin, but not the snobby part, a more laid back part. It helps that I bought at the bottom of the market and my home has doubled in value since we bought.

Pretty easy drive most of the time, occasionally it’s 1:15 but usually an hour or maybe a little less.

Not for everyone, but we love it here and glad there are so many opportunities at Sfo.

rp2pilot

I lived in the foothills for 18 years while based in SFO.. the drive wasn't too bad really (1+45 no traffic), but we fled California to escape the high costs. Conservatively, it cost an additional $3000/ month to live there ( taxes, fuel/energy costs, fees, food costs, insurance, housing, et alia). It's a lovely state as far as climate and resources, but I can buy a lot of positive space tickets to visit for $3000/ month.

Spicy McHaggis

I'm one of those 777FOs that's leaving for the NBCA. I'm basically doing it for a couple reasons, at least one already mentioned.

The first is I'm tired of the time zones. I was on the 756 doing Europe for 6 years before going to the 777 doing China for the last 7. I've found it's wearing me down some and wanted to stick closer to home, time zone wise. Of course there are still some redeyes and what not, but it's not "sit in PEK for 50hrs while your body slowly wonders what you're doing to it."

The other is I'm doing it for a change of pace and to knock the dirt of the flying skills a little. While I do fly a fair amount on the 777 (I rarely play the landing class game), I've seen how some of the guys that camp out in the back seat for a decade do when it's finally time to go back to work.

I still like flying planes. I'll revisit that response after my seat lock is up.

A semi-long shot on this one, but I won't be locked out of bidding EWR787FO when it opens up later this year or early next, so assuming I can hold it, I have an "out" if I don't find the NB lifestyle to my liking.

I live local and am actually a little more senior as a NBCA than a WBFO. That should be a red flag I guess. Senior enough and live local enough that if I need certain days off I can bid RSV. While that sounds absolutely nuts to most, the lack of rolling days off is huge so guaranteeing weekends off if needed is actually plausible.

So anyway, into the mind of a 777FO that never thought he'd leave the plane.

NFLUALNFL

Some to live in base and/or be a line holder.

Setopbug

What's lovely is that we have the opportunity to choose.

In the plus column for the NBCA positions is avoiding the grouchy, insecure authority old men that you sometime get stuck with on the bigger airplanes once in a blue moon.

It thankfully didn't happen too often but when it did?

Oy vey.

Spicy McHaggis

Yeah I'd like to thank all the awesome captains that made the WB flying enjoyable.

I'd also like to thank the few WB captains that were total d-bags and motivated me to go do something else for a while..

blockplus

Nbca, = never having to deal with a scab.

Plus only 1 fdo and no rdo.

3 years of landings every 90 days.

Live in base and like the non commutable trips

worstpilotever

Trouble is there is almost always traffic unless you go early or very late. I hate driving to sjc for a trip and it’s about 1+30, so 1+45 but more likely 3 hours would put me in a padded cell.