I think a lot of people have had a bad experience on a plane at one point or another. Whether you hit unexpected turbulence, the person next to you annoying or you are physically dragged off the plane *cough* united *cough* it’s alway an experience. I thought it was interesting to hear about what goes on in the front of the plane.  Finding out what it’s like in the daily life of a pilot was cool. I had no idea that they had very strict time schedules and what really happens most of the time when flights are grounded or canceled. Pilots also seem to spend a lot of time away from home. Their flights might have them sleeping in a hotel for 3 nights in different locations. They also seem to have odd work schedules where at some point the pilot we were speaking with had 7 days off. It’s definitely not like a typical 9-5 office job where your hours are very predictable and you are well acquainted with the people you are flying with.

Something else I never put much thought into was how long it takes to get certified as a pilot and what you need to do to get there.