Husband and Wife with children, flying for AC???

[Westernstar]

Hey,

So our situation is this, my wife is already a pilot with AC. I have a pretty good flying gig but its for a small company. The pay is great, I just don't know how long I can fly a turbo prop for, when already it seems the new guys are getting younger and younger and many of my co-workers are moving on to do the thing I've always dreamt of.

The thing that worries me is, is that we have to young kids whom we think the world of and are very involved in their lives. The job I have now is working out quite well with us raising the kids and my wife working for AC, but I am getting the itch to go their as well.

Their has to be husband/wife teams pulling this off at AC ain't their?
What can we expect if we go through with this? Any tips or ideas good or bad please let me hear them, this is the biggest decision we've ever made and our kids are our number 1 concern. So if it means they are going to spend a lot of time without their mom and dad then let me know. Because that's a deal breaker for me.

Thanks all

[onetreehill]

For the sake of your kids. DON'T DO IT!!!!!

[burhead1]

Also, you sure you want all your eggs in one basket?

[retired or retarded]

Seems like you already know what you want to do. The first while will not be easy for you as far as schedule. Anyone telling you else wise is lying. If your wife is already at AC, depending how long she might enjoy an easier schedule. But if you really want to try it out the other jobs are and always will be there to some extent. Give it a go. If you really want to keep a good schedule at what your doing hold on because that is gone in your first few years at AC. The benefits lay a ways down the road.

[loopa]

Hey,

So our situation is this, my wife is already a pilot with AC. I have a pretty good flying gig but its for a small company. The pay is great, I just don't know how long I can fly a turbo prop for, when already it seems the new guys are getting younger and younger and many of my co-workers are moving on to do the thing I've always dreamt of.

The thing that worries me is, is that we have to young kids whom we think the world of and are very involved in their lives. The job I have now is working out quite well with us raising the kids and my wife working for AC, but I am getting the itch to go their as well.

Their has to be husband/wife teams pulling this off at AC ain't their?
What can we expect if we go through with this? Any tips or ideas good or bad please let me hear them, this is the biggest decision we've ever made and our kids are our number 1 concern. So if it means they are going to spend a lot of time without their mom and dad then let me know. Because that's a deal breaker for me.

Thanks all

I know of a gal in a similar situation.

The wife flies, the guy is a controller. With her current schedule and no nanny available to take care of the kids, she had to send the kids to be with their dad who is controlling in god knows where. Because of her schedule she can't really travel to see her kids, maybe once per month for a period of a few days. The toll is taken on the dad being a controller and having to raise 2 kids without their mom around for any help. Needless to say the woman is very miserable at work and I would imagine so is the guy.

The woman moved from a 704 gig to fly 705 machinery whilst the dad graduated nav can and got a controlling gig away from their new home.

How does this relate to you? What if your wife is YYZ base you are YVR base? Nanny's are a lot harder to find than you think. And if you got one that quits on you, lol - you're in for a roller coaster.

So my suggestion is this: How old are you? Would AC be a future for you to push towards instead of acquiring right now? There's lots of great 705 flying that is not AC/WJ. Would that float your boat? Cause I can smell the shit storm that would be about to happen with both of you guys working AC.

Perhaps somebody with more equivalent experience can shed better light on this!

Good luck dude

[MRP]

If your wife is already at AC you should have her ask the same questions on the Air Canada pilots forum. I think she will get better answers there as most AC pilots I have worked with don't frequent this board very often. Having said that, I have flown with at least two people over the last year who are doing exactly what you are planning and it seems to be working well for them.

[SAR_YQQ]

I really don't see the huge attraction with flying the "heavy metal". I'm itching to go back to a turbo-prop - where I can land on runways less than 5000' and spend some time flying down amongst the weeds. This airliner flying is tedious.

[Westernstar]

Thanks all for the replies, done a bit more digging into the situation and apparently quite a few are doing it. Thanks again!