Hello everyone,
I am hoping I can get some advice from some of you regarding my situation at the moment. I have no one to turn to and who better to ask them you guys who are already in the industry and potentially lived through what I am going right now.

to make it short and not bore you, I got my ex-girlfriend pregnant last August. We separated mid-way the pregnancy and now my daughter is 3 and a half months. There has been huge problem between myself and her family which ended up in me having to file for court. Long story short, she is doing everything in her power to take my daughter away from me, accusing me of very serious stuff to make me look like the bad guy. Now what I need advice is regarding my first job. I am stuck between 4 walls and not sure on what to do. I recently graduated with 230 hour total time and my goal initially before all this, was to pack my bags and drive until I found a job, but right now it is very difficult for me to do that. I believe she will use this against me, stating that I am no longer living in the city/province,therefore she should get full custody with little to no visitation. My ideal job would be anywhere in the country with a rotational schedule which would allow me to fly back to Toronto and spend sometime with my daughter. However, I don't know what the chances are of me getting that ideal first job. Court is scheduled for mid October, and I wouldn't have a problem driving across Canada until I found the right job, but my guess is I would end up with no luck.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
thank you

Keewatin dispatch and flying positions are rotational. There aren't too many jobs in Southern Canada that will allow you to rotate at the stage you're currently at in your career. While southern rotational jobs are out there, your best bet would be to look further North first.

What area are you living in?

AWOS wrote:Keewatin dispatch and flying positions are rotational. There aren't too many jobs in Southern Canada that will allow you to rotate at the stage you're currently at in your career. While southern rotational jobs are out there, your best bet would be to look further North first.

I wouldn't have a problem going to another province. As long as its rotational and I'm able to fly back every so often I would be happy. The job could be on the other side of the country and it won't matter to me. I am willing to go anywhere!

digits_ wrote:What area are you living in?

I live in southern Ontario in Mississauga

Honestly your best and perhaps only bet is to instruct local until the dust settles in your personal life. A year or 2 tops, if the industry keeps moving like this you may well be able to move straight to a regional after that or into corporate out of YYZ.

The other part of this is child support is based off your wage. Instructors wage will be lower, ergo less support. Then as your wage rises you can be the nice guy, and give extra for dance lessons, swimming etc.....etc.......

Yes i am cynical

Georgian also hires from within, so work part time instructing, and get a job in dispatch or screw sched...i know guys now at ac who did it that way

Honestly, why is it that people try to use their children hurt their spouses? In the end the child loses. The only guaranteed way to be there and stay in aviation is to instruct. It means more debt, and more work, but if you get a job instructing it means being home every night. Going up north means being gone indefinitely. I have no experience with custody battles but from here it looks like you may have to be satisfied with losing this stage of the battle. Brutal man. Sorry.

Ok
Been there done that
It breaks my heart just thinking about it and what i went thru and still go thru
My two cents
Think long run
Get home as often as you can to visit, kids grow fast but honestly won't remember you being there everyday or a week every couple months until they are two'ish
Things are moving fast in the industry
Take any flying job offered to you
Within two years you should be able to get a job in your kids city or a rotation that gets you there biweekly
Pm anytime with questions

Thanks for looking at the positive side of it, King Airlol

I see where you're coming from and you're right. Right after the court date, I will be heading out on a road trip. I will be going to every possible operator I can find, but I am hoping I can get something with one that does rotations. I know a lot of people are against doing ramp or dispatch, but if I can find an operator that provides rotation for those with upgrades to a right seat, I would probably take it. As long as I can constantly travel back home to spend some time with my daughter and the mother doesn't completely take her away from me

First - read father's rights movement articles - she's running by the golden vajayjay playbook by the sounds of it.

Take the anger management and parenting courses - she's going to make all kinds of accusations, don't do the same focus on being good daddy, and taking the courses to prove it.

Forget taking low pay work, she's going to put you into the annual reassessment of income and support so it's not beneficial, and will make you look bad to the judge.

Eat ramen and visit food bank if you have to, but don't show up in court without a lawyer. Student working in aviation ? Talk to legal aid you probably qualify.

And keep focused on the end result. Good luck

Oh man, I feel for you.

I'm not sure what happened between you two, but the most important thing in this whole situation is your little girl. Your flying career, her career, etc does not matter. You have to come together as adults and do the right thing for that child. I say that as a husband and a father.

Okay, back on track.

Keewatin Air does offer rotational dispatch jobs, but I can tell you "second" hand (friends that worked at Keewatin) that lately, the hiring managers there are trying to move away from hiring "future pilots" for the position and are looking to hire non pilots that are willing to stay on longer than a year. I guess that's because they don't want to keep training new guys / girls, only to leave? I don't know.

I think instructing locally would be your best bet, and with the current movement in aviation, you may end up at Porter or Georgian pretty soon.

Hope you sort your problems out, for the sake of that innocent child...

Goood luck,

Hans