Free tool
Crew Sizing Calculator
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Size your crew from your flying programme
Headcount needed
- Pilots
- Cabin crew
- Pilot crews per aircraft
- Fleet block hours per year
Flight time per crew member per year
At this productivity, the 900-hour annual flight time limit of ORO.FTL.210 sets the headcount: more working days no longer reduce it.
With these days off, leave and training, no working day is left. Reduce them to get a result.
An average annual estimate, to frame a budget or a recruitment plan. It does not split captains and first officers, bases, fleet types or seasons, and assumes every available day can be rostered. The 900-hour limit is that of ORO.FTL; air taxi, emergency medical and single-pilot operations follow national rules.
Method
How the headcount is calculated
Five steps, shown with the calculator's default values.
| Step | Formula | Default values |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fleet block hours | aircraft × block hours per day × operating days | 5 × 8 × 365 = 14,600 h |
| 2. Available days per crew member | (365 − 12 × days off − leave − training) × (1 − absence rate) | (365 − 132 − 25 − 8) × 0.95 = 190 days |
| 3. Block hours per crew member | available days × block hours per flying day, capped at 900 h (ORO.FTL.210) | 190 × 4 = 760 h, under 900 h |
| 4. Line crew | fleet block hours × crew per flight ÷ block hours per crew member | 14,600 × 2 ÷ 760 = 38.4 pilots |
| 5. Headcount | line crew × (1 + reserve), rounded up | 38.4 × 1.15 = 44.2, so 45 pilots |
FAQ
Your Questions Answered
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How many pilots per aircraft does an operator need?
There is no universal ratio: it follows from utilisation, days off, leave, training, absence and reserve. With 8 block hours per aircraft per day and the calculator's default assumptions, an operator needs 45 pilots for 5 aircraft, or 4.5 two-pilot crews per aircraft. Each extra block hour of daily utilisation raises that figure.
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How do EASA flight time limits affect headcount?
ORO.FTL.210 caps flight time at 900 hours per calendar year, 1,000 hours in any 12 consecutive months and 100 hours in any 28 consecutive days. Once each crew member would fly more than 900 hours a year, the limit, not the roster, sets the minimum headcount. Rest and days off requirements reduce the days available well before that.
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What reserve ratio should I plan?
Reserve is the standby crew that absorbs sickness at short notice, disruptions and late changes. Each operator sets it from its own history of standby activations. The calculator applies it as a percentage of line crew, so you can see what each point costs in headcount.
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Why is my actual headcount higher than the result?
The calculation assumes that every available day can be rostered. In practice, captain and first officer pairing, qualifications, bases, positioning and seasonal peaks leave days unused. The gap between the two figures is what a better roster can recover.
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Does the calculator replace a crew planning study?
No. It gives an average annual estimate to frame a budget or a recruitment plan. A planning study adds ranks, bases, fleet types, seasonality, your operator's FTL scheme and collective agreements.