To briefly describe the system, we can explain it as follows. An airline plans what a plane will fly for a week. During this planning, a different flight crew is assigned to almost every flight of the aircraft. So pilots don't always fly the same plane during their working lives.
How often do airlines replace planes?
30 yearsOn average, a plane can fly for 30 years before it needs to be retired. Usually, a plane's life span isn't measured in years but rather in pressurization cycles. Every time a plane takes flight, it is pressurized, which puts stress on the fuselage and the wings. This is called metal fatigue.
Can a pilot fly two different planes?
No. Airline pilots are extra special, highly trained and skilled aviators and may be rated and qualified to fly multiple types of airplanes, but like the rest of us mere mortals, they can't fly two, or more aircraft at a time, just as they can't be in two places, or two airplanes at a time.
How often do pilots switch planes?
How old are planes allowed to fly?
If the proper maintenance procedures are followed, chronological age is not a limitation. There are airplanes flying that were built in the 1930s. Some components are replaced according to their calendar age, while others are replaced on flight hours or cycles. Inspections are conducted in regular intervals.
Do pilots get to choose what plane they fly?
What airplane you fly as a pilot is determined by your seniority. The type of equipment a pilot is assigned to fly is based on their seniority. Pilots have the option to bid for a particular aircraft, just like they would their schedule or crew base.
How old are planes before they are retired?
about 30 yearsOn average, an aircraft is operable for about 30 years before it has to be retired. A Boeing 747 can endure about 35,000 pressurization cycles and flights—roughly 135,000 to 165,000 flight hours—before metal fatigue sets in.