With Thanksgiving behind us and the major holiday season looming ahead, I spent some time thinking about the holidays and being an airline pilot. I sure my friends in the industry will know what I'm thinking, but those friends and family outside of aviation might not know what it is like for airline crew members during the holiday season. You may have flown on an airplane to visit family, but there are pilots, flight attendants, gate agents, ramp workers, and maintenance personnel who are pulled away from their families so that you can be with yours.
Seniority is the deciding factor in whether or not you will have to work on holidays. I have been pretty junior for much of my career, so I expect to be away from home. Having to work these days can be a mixed blessing. The downsides are numerous. You're having to be away from family. You have to sleep in a strange hotel, in a strange city, where all of restaurants are closed. You're lucky if the hotel has food for you. Once, I got food from the airport and brought it to the hotel so that I would have something to eat. I remember spending one Thanksgiving in Hartford, Connecticut. Every restaurant, including the hotel's, was closed. Thankfully, the hotel chef had made cold cut sandwiches for us and left them in a fridge where we could help ourselves. That, potato chips, and a coke from the vending machine made for some good eats. Well, maybe not, but at least I had a good crew and we were able to make the best of it.
On the other hand, luck can knock on your door and provide one of the most surprising, best experiences of your life. I was an CRJ Captain, sitting at home on Reserve. Reserve, for those of you not familiar with the term, is where you sit at home, next to the phone, and wait for it to ring. If your crew scheduler calls, you usually have 2 hours to get to the airport and report for your trip. On Christmas morning, I got the call. I was going to spend Christmas night in Chicago. I am originally from Chicago and my father still lives there. Unfortunately, my father was spending Christmas in San Francisco with his step-children. The rest of my siblings were living out of town. Luckily, one of my very best friends from high school lives about 5 minutes from O'Hare Airport. I gave him a call, and remember, this was on Christmas morning. I asked him if there was any chance that I could join he and his family for dinner. I usually don't just call someone on short notice and invite myself to dinner, but his family has always been like a second family to me and I really didn't want to be alone in a hotel room on Christmas. He said, “Absolutely!” I told him I felt bad that I wouldn't be able to contribute anything to the meal, but he said to just make sure I got to Chicago!
I arrived at ORD (O'Hare) around 5 in the afternoon. My friend was waiting at the curb and whisked me to his parent's home. I am their third son, so they were ecstatic to see me. His Aunt and Uncle Tommy were there from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, whom I hadn't seen in years. It was a regular family reunion. Dinner was amazing! By the time I was done, I needed a wheelbarrow to get me out of the house. My tummy was stuffed with turkey, ham, all the fixings, and let's not forget the pie. I know pumpkin pie is the usual pie of choice during the holidays, but at my friend's favorite was French Silk pie from Baker's Square. If you've ever had it, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, you REALLY should!
After dinner was over, we all moved to the living room and arranged ourselves around the tree. It was time to open the gifts. Back then, the economy was pretty good, and I had never seen a tree with so many beautifully wrapped presents underneath it. This family isn't overly extravagant, but they love giving at Christmas. I made my way to a chair away from the tree, with the intention of leaving the area around the tree for those who would be getting presents. I was just happy to be there and celebrating with these people. Then came one of the most emotional evenings of my life. My friend and his mother, who is an amazing woman, had gone shopping for gifts, for me, on Christmas day. When they heard I was coming to town, they found and open Target store and proceeded to get me 7 gifts, all wrapped and underneath the tree. SEVEN!!! I couldn't believe it. As if there weren't enough things to do around the house to prepare the food, and get the house ready for guests, they took the time to make sure that I would have something under the tree to open. I would not be left out of the festivities. I became very emotional. I'm not sure they know how much that meant to me. I went from thinking I would be alone for the holiday, to having the most amazing holiday I've ever had! I will never be able to thank them enough. It is proof positive that there are amazing, selfless people in this world. Christmas is a time for family, for giving and receiving. That year, I received! Thank you Andersen's!
I am also reminded of one last story. Two years ago, I had a four day trip on the 767-400 to Geneva, Switzerland. I don't have any friends there, but with 3 Pilots and 11 Flight Attendants, you're sure to have somebody to do something with. To get in the holiday spirit, one of the flight attendants hung paper snowflakes from the ceilings and underneath the overhead compartments in business class. I was the relief pilot, so I was the first one in the cockpit, while the Captain and First Officer where in the weather room checking the flight info and plotting our course across the Atlantic. I was feeling festive earlier in the day and found a Walgreen's pharmacy near my crashpad. I found some battery operated Christmas lights. Before the Captain and FO came down the jetway, I had hung the lights all around the ceiling of the cockpit. They were programmable to stay on, blink, or flash. The crew left the lights on the whole way while they searched for any signs of Santa and his sleigh. This year, I will be on a trip to Costa Rica on Christmas. I'm sure it will be a good trip!
While the aviation industry may seem large, it never ceases to amaze me what a small community it really is. I am fortunate to have friends in cities all over the world. The best overnights are those that you can meet up with a friend. It makes work seem less like work and more like a vacation. I have had the good fortune to spend a few holidays with friends while on a work trip. I hope that someday, I can return the graciousness they have always shown me.
When you get on your flight to go home, thank your crews and wish them a happy holiday. While you are going to visit family, you have just become a part of their family, even if for only a few hours.
Happy Holidays and Please be seated for Landing!
