Is it a job that requires a lot of time away from home?

[Gally2]

Dear all,
This is my very first post and I could ask a million questions but I'll start off by asking one simple one. Before I do so can I just add that I am a 21 year old male just after receiving a bachelor of commerce degree last may and I have been accepted into a masters for this September but my goal from day one was to become a commercial pilot. After my four years in college I am now more excited than ever to start my career in this market and I have a few FTO's in mind but there is just one thing stopping me that I have not examined or thought of before! That is do pilots spend a lot of time away from home? I am from Ireland just to add also! Maybe I am just having doubts because I am going to start soon and may be getting a bit nervous but I would appreciate some advice in this area of piloting ??
Thank you in advance

[3bars]

It's one of the few careers where you're expected to give up your whole life for the love of flying! Reality is you can expect to be based abroad with a few short days home a month, unless you can get one of the few positions available within Ireland... Then the taxman will rob more than half of your salary:{

[P40Warhawk]

In 2007 I said. Nooooo. I will never gonna live outsite my country. Then I met a girl. She got a job in Spain, and I was thinking. Option 1: Now and then go there by plane.
Option 2: Get myself a job there.

It became option 2. Went there. Had a great time. There I realized I wanted to become a pilot ( which I already wanted since I was 9 years old ) and knew that I will not work in my country. So then I have been living in Austria and now in Lithuania.

So all in all. You get used to it. I am very happy to live in another country. Now I could live in almost every country. It is just what you make of it.
If you are sitting at home in that country, and do nothing. Never go out of the door. Then yes , you will feel lonely.
I went out of my apartment in Austria and Lithuania, and started dancing Salsa. Met great people. And now its never boring. Made a lot of friends.

Good luck .

[PURPLE PITOT]

If you want to have a life outside of work, have weekends off, go to weddings/ funerals/ birthday parties etc, then pick another carreer.

[paco]

Think of it as running away and joining the circus........

My mum still thinks I've gone out for a coffee :)

[PURPLE PITOT]

Spot on Phil!:ok:

[TeaTowel]

I wouldn't do it Gally, where are you going to get the money like? And you only received your Commerce degree in May, are you never going to use it?

I got into flying to get out of Ireland btw, the guys that end up with a flying job based in Ireland seem to be pure flukes.

And yes the Taxman, do you want half your salary handed to indebted property developers so they can "maintain their lifestyle" through Nama?

[Gally2]

3Bars and Teatowel ye are so right in saying that the taxman will take half of my earnings...Teatowel in response to your question yes i do plan on following up on my commerce degree I have been offered a masters for this sept and a job for sept 2014..... but my passion is to fly. I also have high Gaelic football prospects and a girlfriend here in Ireland so is up and leaving a good idea? It is what i really want to do since i was young. I even made my father drive me to Cork airport (which is 2 hours away just to watch the planes land and take off). So confused because I cannot see into the future and i am afraid that if everything goes belly up in ireland for me then I will be regretting not going away for the rest of my life!! in terms of financing myself i have spoken to the bank and they are willing to give me a good deal of money on loan and i can source the rest from family so that is not a problem......
Thank ye all for your kind replys

[FlyingStone]

If you can't stand the idea of relocating/working virtually anywhere in the world in this economy at age of 21, don't pursue a carrer in aviation. It'll just be harder when the wife/family/etc. comes around.

[3bars]

My advice, for what it's worth, do the PPL, have it as a hobby. General aviation is where all the fun flying is at. Forget aviation as a career path... It's not the job it once was ( thanks Mr. O'Leary! :ugh: )

[groundfine]

Gally2. A certain amount of truth in these answers to you but I am concerned that they provide for rather a negative view which is not totally warranted.
There are operators who do provide stable rosters and little in the way of nightstops. For instance the major recruiter for the future i.e. easyjet! Not sure ihey have a Dublin base, but think there might be one at Belfast (?). But you have to accept that this is a hard business to get into and "I don't want to relocate or do nightstops" at interview is going to make your chances zero! That being said, once into a Company by a couple of years you get a feel for what you want and how to get it. eJ has so many bases that the need for nightstops is limited from most bases. Think it is mainly just covering for the small bases when people are on leave.
My experience over decades is that I was nearly always able to walk the children either to or from Primary School depending on whether on lates or earlies. Think I have seen more of my family than most middle and senior management men in office jobs. Also the time out of work is mine unlike managers who are always having to do some (useless) project planning in their evenings to keep the Director pleased with them.
Don't count on getting into BA, but for instance they have a bid system where you write your own roster. Again a few years in til you have much control but many want the nightstops for the money. How about FlyBe in BFS or Exeter?
In the end though you can't plan much at your stage. You either want to do it enough or you don't. It is a good job!

[tuck]

Unfortunately the pariah's of the industry pray on a Pilots love of aviation and the industry continues to spiral to the depths.
It was once a desirable job, now only an avenue to shaft the afflicted. There aren't too many good jobs around, most have compromises which the afflicted rationalise as acceptable to keep the dependancy alive. Unless you crave it, find a job which allows you to fly for fun, certainly the industry no longer affords that luxury.
I am afflicted, why else am I typing this from a hotel down-route at some stupid hour?
Oh and by the way, I am getting a total of 3 days clear at home with the kids this month. Not divorced but will be if this keeps up.

[CruiseControl_007]

Becoming a pilot doesn't necessarily mean living away from home.

I'm fortunate enough to find my first job flying jets and now living at home with only a 40 minute commute to work. But I too was based away from home for about 2 years before I managed to get a transfer. I have now just bought my first property and all this because I made a sacrifice to move away from home to get that first job.

This job will require a sacrifice at some point in your life. You may be extremely lucky and find your first job near home but the chances are rather slim and on the flip side you may have to move to England or Scotland to get that first job which isn't a million miles away from home. Yes, you will get rostered for nightstops and even possibly being based elsewhere but that is where you gain the best experience.

I used to work in an office environment prior to taking the plunge. I then changed career in my mid 20's and have never looked back. This job is what you make of it my friend.

Best of luck! :ok:

[EMB-145LR]

I've been working away from home for all of the five years that I've been an airline pilot. I've been flying for an airline in the USA for nearly three years now, and before that I was in the Caribbean. Initially I hated being so far from the UK, but now I've really come to love it, so much so in fact that I am unsure as to whether I want to move back to the UK if the opportunity arises. I have a couple of select companies that I would make the move back for, otherwise I'm staying where I am now.

Granted, I'm lucky to be able to work in the USA because I'm married to a Yank, but living overseas for the past five years has been a great adventure.

[Mikehotel152]

Short answer: yes.

Since I started my first flying job in 2009 I've spent 2 years abroad and 2 years at home. A promotion is on the horizon. Should I take it I'll have to move abroad and have no choice as to the destination and I'll have to commute home to see my wife and young child. I'll probably not earn much more than I do now because I'll be maintaining two houses and paying 50-60% tax.

Only the legacy carriers retain a civilised employment structure and basic respect for family life. The locos make profit by treating pilots as numbers, to be shunted around without a care, like the aeroplanes they fly. Yippee. My advice: apply to a legacy carrier's cadet scheme. If you pass, pay up and work hard. A career of sorts awaits. If you do not pass selection, give up and enjoy your life. You'll earn more and be happier outside aviation..

But the day to day job is fun. :O

[CAT3C AUTOLAND]

Come on guys, when you become a pilot, if you have done your research there are no surprises.

Yes you are away, but that is what you sign up for. I have been flying professionally for 8 years now, and if you really love it, you will never work again.