saab2000

You're joking, right?

I've been displaced several times. Therefore it doesn't really pay for me to try to live in domicile because I don't know if the company will change it's mind in 6 months.

And there are very, very, very few commutable schedules. 3 days off is really 1 day off because you are commuting on your first day off and you are commuting on your last day off. Two days killed.

There are some companies that have commutable schedules and some that have affordable bases. My company has neither. Uncommutable schedules in crazy expensive places like DCA and LGA and PHL.

Nice.

BoredwLife

I will add that in the right relationship it is great. My fiance' and I thrive on me being gone for half the week. We each get our alone time and it is great.

This first furlough almost ruined us!! SHe was screaming "YOU NEED TO GO BACK TO WORK!!!"

bryris

Its funny how people adapt. My wife and I lived in each others' hip pocket for years, then when I began the airline life, we both adapted and sort of got numb to it - making lemonade, I guess. The quality of any given day together was greater than before. Every time I got home, it felt like a vacation to be capitalized upon. We'd go out more and have more fun.

When I left the airline and came back home, there was a month or so of strangeness, but again, we've adapted back to regular life being home every day now. If/when I go back to airline life, it'll probably be a tough transition all over again until we are numb to it again.

If you care for each other enough, it'll work either way.

FYI, I commuted 900 miles each way to work as well.

250 or point 65

3, 2, 1, 4, whatever. The point was that whey you're home, you're home. Works stays in the cockpit.

I regularly got 3+ days off because I was motivated to work the system. Sometimes it was only 1, but for that 1 day, my phone was off. I was doing what I wanted to do.

so yeah, to the OP, don't tell her 3 days, I just picked a random number. DO NOT make her any promises.

250 or point 65

Yeah, and its not only the alone time, but you are actually really excited to see her when you get back, not like 9-5 where you just want some alone time.

CaptainTeezy

Pilots+Wives= Ex-wives This is Newton's 4th law.

Seriously, this is where you have to MAN UP.

If she has a great STABLE career, dont have pride. Follow her, make your career second to hers, and find a job where you both WANT TO LIVE. Even if you stay at a regional for the rest of your life...you will still top out at 70K plus a year.

If she is an art major or an "aspiring actress" give her a REALITY CHECK NOW and tell her she isnt paying the bills and you gotta go bring home the cash to pay the bills. If she doesnt like your life style you need to get a new girlfriend before she becomes an EX WIFE.
I am getting sick of seeing women, who know a guy is a pilot, get in a relationship and then they get upset when he is at work and bizzich at him when he is at home.

I am lucky, I have a wife that is in grad school getting a PhD. She gets paid a stipened of 24k a year, which makes life easier on me. I am currently working out of state for the 2nd time in my short career. She is very smart and able function independently. I see her about once every 6 weeks, its not fun, but she understands that it is best for both of us. When she graduates, our lives will revolve around her job. And whatever I can find I will do.

robthree

A subscription? You can't afford a subscription, you'll have to scour the seat backs for abandoned Stuff and FHM softcore mags.


One time I got a call from my wife at 11pm. She was having a rotten day, the baby was sick, the dog peed on the rug, her mom was p!zzing her off, I was 1000 miles away and couldn't get home for 12 hours even if it was a life-or-death emergency. A situation like that is incredibly frustrating for the both of you. Its a tough life for a partner who isn't really independent minded; and that makes it tough on you too.

Living in base is a much better situation, but I've had 7 domiciles in 4 years (4 involuntary) so that's not a sure thing either.


Whatever happens, good luck!

zscheidker

Thanks a lot, I'm sure we'll be fine. Just wanted an idea of how life would be.

DryMotorBoatin

Try living out of base...and then pick up some open time on your days off so you can upgrade your Ramen with a shrimp flavoring. I'd pick up trips that ensured 24 hours off when I needed to...otherwise I was flyin. It takes effort to break guarentee when on reserve. Maybe then you can afford that beef flavoring I hear all the captains talking about. All I know is...if you enjoy it, its a job youre going to love. But if you don't enjoy it, then you are going to hate it more than you can imagine. It's a great job because like others on here have said, you can go home and you can totally leave work at work. There is no bringing work home. But you CANNOT bring home to work. If youre on a four or five day trip and all you can think about is home, youre going to be miserable. You won't last a year. That being said, I have very few original thoughts of my own so take this lesson from Joe Dirt...

Old Cajun Man: [In a muffled back water accent] Home is where you make it.
Joe Dirt: What?
Old Cajun Man: Home is where you make it.
Joe Dirt: You like to see homos naked?
Old Cajun man: Home is where you make it.
Joe Dirt: Oh.
Joe Dirt: Guy likes to see homos naked, that doesn't help me

UIUCpilot85

Gaw'dam boy!

YouTube - Home is where you make it