Well as most of you know im still in college, however i have a pretty serious girlfriend. I have no intentions of getting married before finishing college, but my question is what do i tell her about the aviation life? We have talked about it a lot and she sounds pretty accepting of it and says she would be behind me all the way. Just wondering what some big things are to cover before things get even more serious in our relationship? Also any advice that you might have for me or both of us. Also sorta off the subject, but shes a meteorology major. What kind of jobs in the aviation field could she possibly get? Do airlines have their own group of meteorologist?
Craig,
The biggest thing, as mentioned earlier, is to be 100% honest with her. Don't sugar coat anything and show her the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'll share my thoughts as to what I would do in your situation.
First, make a list of pros and cons. Here is a sampling of what I would include.
Salary: list what you
realistically expect to make during various times in your career. Couple that with
realistic expectations as to where you see yourself in both the short-term and the long-term. Be conservative and don't underestimate the amount of time you may be spending at a job that isn't your ultimate goal. Also, make sure she knows that TWO incomes are more than likely going to needed, especially in the beginning.
Schedule: This is going to be huge and probably just as important as the salary. Let her know that you are not always going to be home for the holidays, vacations may not occur during the summer, she may be home alone when the furnace decides to quit, etc. On the positive side, pilots are at an advantage to maximize time off too. i.e., creative bidding can turn 2 weeks of vacation into 4. Seniority is what is going to drive your schedule. Other factors include domicile, type of equipment flown, cargo vs pax, and type of flying. i.e., domestic vs international. You are not always going to come home feeling 100% refreshed, especially if the trip was long and/or fatiguing. Let her know that you may need some time to recover and readjust to being at home - especially if you have been flying multiple time zones.
I have been at UPS for almost 8 years, and I have an advantage in that I got married
after I started flying here, so I only had to share with my wife the scheduling aspects of one job instead of what to expect during a career progression. My typical schedule (I'm international) has me gone for up to 12 to 14 days in a row. The advantage is that it also comes with a large chunk of time off when I'm home. Domestic schedules tend to be more of a week-on/week-off schedule.
Lines vs Reserve: line-holders will know their schedules ahead of time and this makes planning a lot easier. If you are on reserve, you don't know when you are flying until they call, and then you have a limited time to get to the airport. If you live in domicile and bid reserve, each day that you don't fly is one more day off that you didn't anticipate having. If you commute, you will spend time away from home in a crash-pad with other pilots waiting to get called - and sometimes you never get called.
Commuting vs Living in Domicile: Figure out where you two want to eventually call home. My advice is to treat this like any other job and live where you are based. Commuting is possible, but you may end up spending more of your off-time getting to and from work.
Getting there: how do you plan on getting from where you are to where you want to go? Answer this question and share your plan with your potential bride. Do you want to pursue a path via the regional airlines or do you want to fly charters? Are you wiling to relocate to take a time-building job? If so, how long do you plan to do it for?
Is your wife willing to make some sacrifices along the way? i.e., possibly wait on starting a family, renting for long-term, possibly working a job other than what she is passionate for in order to pay the bills. These are examples of the types of questions I would raise and discuss.
No Such Thing as Secure: I'm sure you have probably discussed this with her, but make sure she also knows this industry is not known for it's enviable job security. Airlines go bankrupt, they furlough, and they ask for concessions. Your career may be a smooth one, or it may have many bumps along the way. Make sure she is very much aware that both roads exist.
Also any advice that you might have for me or both of us.
Yes. This is slightly off the aviation topic but very much on the topic of marriage. The biggest topic couples argue about the most in America is finance and money. It is also the leading cause of divorce. Therefore, I'm going to recommend two books for you to read as well as some friendly advice.
The books. Read
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. Also, read
The Millionaire Next Door, I don't remember the author.
The advice: both of you must be on the same page financially. Put a monthly budget on paper, balance your checkbook every month, and LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS. I can't emphasize how much of a head start you and your lovely bride have with youth and two incomes. With the exception of a home mortgage one day, avoid needless debt. If you have debt starting out, take advantage of having two incomes and pay it off ASAP. It might mean doing without for a while, but you two will be very wealthy one day sooner than later.
I hope you find this helpful and insightful.
anic:
