Seems… meanwhile the pilot is involved with “flying” the plane during about a 10 minute window immediately before, during, and after takeoff, and then again immediately before, during, and after landing. The rest of the time is spent on housekeeping duties and can easily be filled by chatting or napping.
My dad flew transports in the Air Force (commercial too, later) and said that when they ferried people between CA and the Marshall Islands they’d freak out when they’d walk up to the cockpit (no door) and look inside (especially on the trip back).
They’d see that they’d covered the windows with newspapers to block out the rising sun, and everyone was literally asleep. Captain, co-pilot, and navigator all sacked out. They’d sleep for 5 and 6 hours at a pop too.
So the next time you’re comparing salaries just remember that the Greyhound bus driver has to remain awake and alert for the *entire* trip (or at least his segment of it) for you to arrive safely. The pilot does not and often is not.
I know of no domestic carrier that allows "napping" by the flight crew. There are a few international carriers that allow one member of the flight crew to rest, but the others must remain at their stations. Even in the current world of glass cockpits, intertial navigation, GPS, and the like things can still go wrong in a double naught hurry. This guy should have been concentrating on managing the airplane. Oh, btw, did I mention that I am a pilot?