Hello!
Originally Posted by
blackmumba
Thanks for reading!
Welcome
Originally Posted by
blackmumba
Looking forward to reading the comments
A very difficult decision indeed. As I have been in the flying business (not airline, but bizjets and instructing ATPL students) for some decades now I often find myself in the position of a career advisor... Hardly a day when I don't get a call or an email from a former student or former or present colleague or FO asking for opinions. The situation in the European airline market has gone completely bananas during this year. There are rumors around that one or more of the German carriers are threatened to get their AOCs pulled because they don't meet the minimum crew factor imposed by our authority. Or otherwise have to ground part of their fleet. They are absolutely desperate for pilots, right hand seat, left hand seat, middle seat, who cares... One Swiss carrier has just raised the maximum age for direct entry pilots to 62 years, not something that I have ever seen before. Myself and a lot of people one talks to think that this must be the usual 5 to 8 year bubble about to burst, but who knows, maybe this one lasts for another year or two?
Anyway, in order to get a foot into central European commercial aviation (airline, bizjet, corporate) there has never been a better time than now.
Personally, I would answer to the thread title "What would you do?" with: Come back to Europe! As much as I like the US for making holidays, like yourself I can't imagine living there for longer. Apart maybe from some of the pretty holiday destinations, but the cost of living there is extremely high and employment is difficult. E.g. one must be a very senior captain to be able to afford a house in San Francisco... And the lesser pay in Europe compared to (some!) US carriers is in part compensated by a lower cost of living here and the "free" extras. Like your family being included in your healthcare and social security and education at no charge at all. From primary school to postgraduate university. Ask your American colleagues how much they pay for the college and university their children attend!
What you won't easily find is the number of days off you have in your present position. As was already written above, some legacy and/or long haul carriers (e.g. Lufthansa "passage", but they are difficult to get into) will offer similar days off. In the larger bizjet sector 15on/15off or 16/14 will usually be offered, but you will be guaranteed away from home on your working days. Lots of hotel rooms in places where one would rather not be... Netjets Europe is looking for FOs right now (see the bizjet forum) with a good proportion of days off (they have a 6on/5off roster and will take you to your chosen home base which can be anywhere in Europe) but again, expect 12-15 hotel nights a month. Not my preferred way of living but a lot better of what others have offered in the past.
And concerning upgrade: You can get that here in the same time than in the US. For example join LGW (
https://www.career.aero/site/de/employer/show/id/1037) on their fleet of Dash 8s and with your experience you can get your upgrade within a year. After another year you might find yourself in the LHS seat of an Eurowings (Lufthansa) Airbus. If the bubble doesn't burst in the meantime... Home every night and a minimum of 10 days off per month. Close to home. With Lufthansa employee privileges, e.g. cheap holiday flights to all those pretty spots around the United States. What more can you ask for
If I would be 10 years younger this is exactly what I would do. On the other hand, nothing beats flying a corporate business jet for an owner who likes to be home for dinner which is what I am doing now.