Just wondering......

JohnM

New Member
Well im honestly thinking about going for a career as a pilot.
I dont have a family, I have a gf of 7 months she is supportive about being a pilot but if a family came around what happens then. She is supportive like i said but i want to be with her anytime i can.

I do have two major career options i am looking at one as a pilot and other working with animals. ( sort of way different ) She is supportive of both of the options I just dont want to be on the road 5 out of 7 days in a week and not see her.

She is pursuing a career in the Architecture field and thats great( and can be great pay )

So i just want to know would the time being away among other things be worth the regional pay rates.

Thanks in advance.

John



EDIT: http://forums.jetcareers.com/airlin...-atp/79081-atp-vs-eru-vs-fbo.html#post1047291 about training I'm considering
 
If you want to be an airline pilot, regional or otherwise, then you should expect to spend 3 to 5 nights away from home each week for the majority of your career. That’s just the way it is. Accept it now. If time away from home and family is not acceptable to you, then a career as an airline pilot is not the best choice for you. That’s not to say there aren’t other pilot positions you can pursue that allow more time at home

That said, if being an airline pilot is your goal, there are things you can do to maximize your time at home. You can work for a company that only does out –and-back day trips. There are a few out there. You can opt to stay a First Officer and thus be senior relatively early in your career, allowing you better pick of day trips, assuming your employer has them. Understand though, that either of these choices will most likely (negatively) affect your earning power.

Many people focus on the fact that you are away from home 15 nights a month. But you are also home 15 days a month. This means that, while the wife and kids are away at work and school, you are able to go about accomplishing all of those tasks that normal life requires, allowing you to make the most of the time that you spend together.

You say your girlfriend is supportive of you, and I’m sure she is. But right now that support costs her nothing. You’re not married. She’s not committed to you. Any time she decides she has had enough, she can walk away, so her support doesn’t mean all that much. The only way you will know the true depth of her support is if you pursue this and she sticks around through all the hard times. Believe me, there WILL be hard times.

My point here is that these are decisions you need to make for yourself. If being a pilot is what you want to pursue, then do so. Your girlfriend will stick around, showing the true value of her support, or she will take off, in which case you are both better off. I guess what I am saying is make your choices, live your life, and let things fall where they may.

Finally, you ask “would the time away among other things be worth the regional pay rates.” That is a question only you can answer. Regional pay is not a mystery. If it is go to airlinepilotcentral.com, look up the pay rates; multiply it by the minimum guarantee. That’s what you’ll be earning each month. So now you decide: Is it worth it?
 
Just remember that going to the airlines is not the only way to earn a living as a pilot. I fly a King Air 200 for a Pt135 company. My schedule has me at home most nights. If there are no flights scheduled then I am at home 'on call', and I also usually get two days a week that are considered as off (ie not on call). I can't complain at that schedule.
 
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