Originally Posted by
asilva1604
Hello everyone! This is my firs post here. I am looking into getting an ATPL, and want to work for airlines. I am portuguese, and am living in Portugal. My decision in terms of becoming a pilot or not is really about family life and my relationship. I am in a loving long term and I am not ready to throw it down the drain because of my job. My question is, will I be jumping around from country to country in the beggining of my career as a pilot? My girlfriend says she would not mind moving to another country, and we have talked about it for long. She and I are both finishing our Engineering degrees (she in Chemical Eng), and so, if we moved, she would find a job and make her career there. This would not be possible, however, if I was moving around a lot, as I don't think I would even be able to ask her to quit her job to move with me. Long haul flying is out of the question for me, even if later on the career, as I want to have children, and do not feel good about spending that much time away from them. Any help is appreciated, even if not completely related to the questions I asked. Thank you, everyone.
Okay, this is not really the place for relationship advice but I have been very lucky to have a very understanding wife who knew I was a pilot when we met. Communication and an understanding about what your career may mean is key. It is actually quite refreshing to read someone who is looking at this as a career who is looking longer term for their family - if more did that rather than think purely in terms of social media clout then maybe we’d have better Ts and Cs. Be honest and realistic with your partner; they may well end up having to sacrifice some of their work for childcare.
The good news is that a home base, home
every night is entirely possible and not that unusual. The bad news is of course that doesn’t always happen for years and you will not be able to be choosy for your first job. The very bad news is that in the next inevitable downturn you may find yourself having to take a job somewhere totally random again.
Long Haul can actually give you more time at home than short haul, depending on the roster. This job is massively variable and what works for one relationship may not work for another - my wife is happy (maybe even grateful
) to have me away for a while and then home for 4 days or so.
If you operate for one of the big European LOCOs then yes you may well have a random base somewhere initially - it may well be commutable if you are on a 5/4 roster for the likes of RYR, and you will be able to bid for a base you want eventually - but Portugal will be a popular choice! Equally if you get a corporate job with a gateway airport this can make life easier, but it all depends on the employer. You’re right that for your first job you won’t really be able to be choosy. A huge upside of a EU passport is the ability to work anywhere in Europe. A downside of a EU passport is, ironically, that your employer can make you work anywhere in Europe.You will have some jobs that offer you the base you want - but that may be at a sacrifice of earning/career progression or satisfaction.
I am away for a chunk of the month - this is my choice, because the chunks of time at home are such high quality and I am not close enough to my base to fly day trips. Those who live closer to base can just do day trips and be home every night - and for those senior enough, you can have a very predictable lifestyle - however I am at a seniority based airline, which at a low seniority level is a lot less predictable roster wise than RYR/EZY. Long haul can offer more time at home/a more commutable life if you’re not living near base, even if it is interspersed with 5 or more days away.
A home base with day trips is entirely possible at a LOCO airline, as day trips is how their rosters work, but likely not initially at your base of choice for a couple of years and of course there are vagaries of markets and whether you need to move base for a command etc. That said, you may luck out and be in a home base fairly quickly.
If you don’t like time away from home then do think long and hard about this career - I’m not saying don’t do it, but I am saying you need to think about what you may have to do in the event of a downturn, I am sure many others on here can vouch for the bizarre contracts in far off places you can end up flying to keep a roof over your family’s heads. In addition, even if you do get, say, a RYR base on 5/4 in Faro, your 5 days on will be hard work and you will be working long hours.
Historically I have always worked on the following, decreasing, priorities for a job:
Base
Roster
Salary
Stability
Progression
I’ve known quite a few friends retire saying they wish they’d prioritised their family more, I’ve not yet known one who wishes they’d spent more time in the cruise in the HLA. Well done for coming to that realisation so early on.