If this has been covered under another post, I apologize. I'm considering applying for a 6/6 international touring offshore pilot position with a major operator. The flying sounds great, as does the pay, but I have some basic questions regarding the lifestyle. The 6 weeks away from my family would be tough for all of us, but 6 weeks off with my kids would be great. Could some of you who have been doing this for a while comment about how this schedule has been for your family long term?
At crew bases for major operators such as CHC and Bristow, is the internet connectivity generally good enough to Skype? Also, I wonder about the camaraderie between crews. Are these bases usually pretty tight, with people hanging out together, cooking meals together, etc, or does everyone just do their job and go back to their room? I've worked EMS bases with a family-type atmosphere, and others where everyone kept to themselves. Personally, I much prefer a team environment.
Also, I wonder how major operators are at honoring the 6/6 schedule. Do you often get stretched to do a 7/5, or even an 8/4, for the good of the company? Then, there's the sticky issue of taxes. If I lived in the USA and worked in an African country, would I have to pay taxes for both locations?
As you can see, I'm new here, and maybe didn't search extensively enough to find the 100 other times these questions have been asked in the past.
Thanks in advance for the helpful replies.