Unusual commutes/expat strategies/beating the system

RamRise

Well-Known Member
I'm curious to hear stories about guys you know or have heard of that live in far flung places around the world or have stayed mobile in tiny houses or sailboats and hold an airline job in the states and how they pull it off. I myself am looking to try the expat thing. What are some of the more common regions or countries US pilots live outside of the states ?
 
We had a regional captain commute from thailand. But he was a sim instructor so he convinced the company to let him work 2 weeks straight in the sim then go home. Those days are long gone I'd imagine. A lot of guys commute from Central America to hubs like Houston and DFW. It's not different than commuting from a west or east coast 3 hour flight to IAD/DFW. You're just doing it from north and south directions. The south cost of living happens to be a lot cheaper.
 
Lots of pilots at ACMI carriers (with gateway travel/home basing) commute from outside the US. There are a few games you can play, but I think most people just have the company buy a (reasonably priced) ticket to wherever they can ride a company plane to their base.

Tempting, but I’m not ready for that level of complication in my life.
 
Pre 117 this was a lot easier to do as you could (international flying especially) group all your trips together at the end of one month, have your clock reset and then do all your trips at the beginning of the next month. No so easy to do any more.

We have a few guys who live in Japan and Australia. It's an easy, one leg, on line commute for them (with numerous off line ZED backups if needed).
 
Pre 117 this was a lot easier to do as you could (international flying especially) group all your trips together at the end of one month, have your clock reset and then do all your trips at the beginning of the next month. No so easy to do any more.

We have a few guys who live in Japan and Australia. It's an easy, one leg, on line commute for them (with numerous off line ZED backups if needed).

Either of those would be awesome but first I need to get hired at HAL (minor detail).

Month on month off would be so ideal for me but I can't bring myself to applying to an ACMI because it is basically the regional model applied to the cargo sector. The Atlas way of life sounds fun and all but when push comes to shove I've just heard too much inconsistency regarding them as an employer.
 
Either of those would be awesome but first I need to get hired at HAL (minor detail).

Month on month off would be so ideal for me but I can't bring myself to applying to an ACMI because it is basically the regional model applied to the cargo sector. The Atlas way of life sounds fun and all but when push comes to shove I've just heard too much inconsistency regarding them as an employer.
Atlas isn't the only one out there... and I wouldn't consider $106/ hour starting pay regional pay. My pay will go up to $110 in January I think it is, then at the year mark next June, it goes to $124. 12 year FO right now is $177, but we're upgrading around the 2 to 3 year mark right now. I'm on training pay right now, but will be on first year pay probably by 1 Aug, when I should be starting IOE. 16/14, with no junior manning. But yeah, Air Beachball needs to join us with a good contract, right @Screaming_Emu? ;-)
 
Atlas isn't the only one out there... and I wouldn't consider $106/ hour starting pay regional pay. My pay will go up to $110 in January I think it is, then at the year mark next June, it goes to $124. 12 year FO right now is $177, but we're upgrading around the 2 to 3 year mark right now. I'm on training pay right now, but will be on first year pay probably by 1 Aug, when I should be starting IOE. 16/14, with no junior manning. But yeah, Air Beachball needs to join us with a good contract, right @Screaming_Emu? ;-)

Using logic, we have to. Using whatever management is using...”everything is awesome...”
 
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