Any woman who is married to an airline pilot knows, you have to be a pretty strong, secure (in yourself) and independant person. It's Murphy's Law, when hubby is away, the kids will get sick, the electrical appliances will break, the car will play up. You have to be prepared to play the role of mom and dad at times, going to school concerts and sports days alone. You can't afford to start getting bitter and resenting the fact that he is going to far off exotic places, at the end of the day, it is his job and he gets paid for doing it. The pros defnitely outweight the cons
I wouldn't change one aspect of our marriage, when he is away, I get a chance to catch up with friends, sports and hobbies, and when he is at home, we love our time together, we never run out of things to chat and laugh about, we try to go out at least once a week for dinner or a movie. Because of the job he has, we are able to fly often with him to the most amazing countries, and do so on a regular basis. Would I like him be home more often, defnitely, but this is his career and I knew it when we married.
I wouldn't swop my husband, life or marriage for all the tea in China, and I know he feels the same.
I hope that answers your question, airline marriages can work, depending on the two people involved - and how serious they are in wanting it to work.