Originally Posted by
Highflyer2019
Hello everyone,
I know there are a lot of similar threads like these, but some advice would be very much appreciated.
So here's my situation:
- Currently 24 years old
- Just before I finished high school (i.e. age of 18 in Europe) I applied for a flight academy and passed all the selection tests. I could have started, but I did not. Why? They told me that during that time the industry was having a hard time and I would probably had to fly in Asia (Western countries were saturated with pilots). Furthermore I met a girl during my last year in high school and was afraid this would put a lot of pressure on our relationship. We're currently still together and got a very stable relationship.
- Started a 5-year engineering study after high school and graduated a year ago.
- I have been working in an engineering company for around a little less than a year. I'm making good money, but I feel this kind of job is not my passion and not something I want to do for the rest of my life. (I already felt that way during my studies to be honest, but continued because I did not know what to study else).
- Therefore I'm considering again to go to a flight school in order to become a pilot in a 2-year track.
Could you guys please advise me on the next questions?
- Family life is important to me and my girlfriend made it clear that she does not want to move with me to another country assuming I would be an airline pilot, which I totally respect. I live in The Netherlands. Is it possible that you fly for let's say Lufthansa, you are based in Frankfurt, but live in Amsterdam and you would commute between these two cities? Is this something that occures frequently in Europe?
- Is there at this time a good chance I can start flying in a country in Europe (and commute between the Netherlands & this specific country)?
- Flying rosters like 5 days flying & 3 days off is fine. Are there also rosters (at e.g. low fair airliners) in which you depart and come back home at the same day?
- Would my engineering degree (civil, not in aerospace) help getting hired at an airline? Or do airliners only care about the amount of hours you have flown?
Being an airline pilot is still my dream job and during my studies & current career I felt I should be flying and persue my passion. Yet as you have probably mentioned my family has priority and I don't think I would be able to move to another country which is 10.000km away, leave everyone behind and see them like once every 3 months. So you can be very honest to me: is becoming an airline pilot something realistic considering I would be able to commute, yet not move to another country?
I have been breaking my head around this for quite a while and some advice of people in the aviation industry would helpful ;-).
Cheers
Hey dude,
Here to help, up to you ultimately. I can relate to your situation as I was in your predicament YEARS back.
Q1: If family life is important to you have a think about this, depending on the airline, you will be away for xmas on a trip, won't get a swap for your loved ones birthdays/funerals. will work weekends and public holidays BUT you'll have a lot of time off because of flight time limitations during the course of the year, have a bidding system in your airline for those special days. Pilots do commute throughout Europe generally with their own airline where you will jumpiest for free so that won't be an issue.
Q2: yes of course you will probably be based in Europe.
Q3: In Ryanair you return to your home base everyday, some airlines you could be on overnights for 5 days throughout Europe and back to your home base on day 5. I think the question you are asking though for your case is lets say you are living in Amsterdam but based in Dusseldorf, can you commute everyday back to Amsterdam, technically you could but you will be very very tired and flights get cancelled, bad weather etc..... so no not possible.
Q4: No Airlines don't care what you have but invest in getting a good CV and covering letter done.
Pilot life is not really suited to families unless you are super lucky and get a base close to your home, its a very selfish occupation. Aviation Induced Divorce (AID's) is a real thing and I have seen plenty of marriages destroyed because flying/money is more important than kids and wife. if you start in Ryanair you will be based in STN/DUB or literally anywhere on the continent so expect to commute from there, Transavia or KLM well you will get looked after. Money is terrible and conditions are awful in the low cost airlines so don't expect more than 20k a year in the fist year.
I did the training and got a job, I'm close to home have kids now and wife still puts up with me but it did put a big strain on our family life for first 4 years. want to move companies now so I know there'll be a tough road ahead but that's aviation dude its always changing. you can get real lucky or get seriously ****** over, hard one to call.
what I would do is go for a cadet gig that's not a low cost airline while still keeping your engineering gig. Low cost is awful and a terrible way to start your aviation career.
would I do it again?? so far yes but its **** at the moment things will come good again.
im not going to tell you what to do your a big boy. best of luck
