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FL270 · April 4th, 2004, 14:44

I have been explaining to my girlfriend for some time now what to expect with me in an airline job. She expects to see me probably no more than two days in a week (figuring four duty days and a day for the vagaries of commuting each week). Amber is right ... communication is key. Your SO has to know and understand the demands of your job. If they can deal with that, great. If not, then it'll never work out in the long run. Amber said it best ... some people can deal with having a pilot for an SO ... some can't. As pilots, that's one of those things that is critically important to figure out when choosing a partner for life.

Think too about the nature of commuting. Most pilots I know commute because that's where "she" wants to live. (Not in all cases, of course, but quite a few.) You could live in base and have more time at home, or commute and live wherever you want. Take my own example. I love Texas and would happily live there for the rest of my life. However, there are a handful of my new employer's pilot bases where I could be happy living for a while as well. I plan to live in Texas and commute for my SO ... because her family, education, and job all are there. She knows she'll see me less as a result, and has accepted it as a consequence of being with me.

Also agree wholeheartedly with the FCAPA suggestion for your SO. It's good to have a support network for the times (and they will inevitably happen) when being with a commuting pilot gets extremely frustrating.

April 4th, 2004, 14:44	#3
FL270 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 1,101	Re: commuting I have been explaining to my girlfriend for some time now what to expect with me in an airline job. She expects to see me probably no more than two days in a week (figuring four duty days and a day for the vagaries of commuting each week). Amber is right ... communication is key. Your SO has to know and understand the demands of your job. If they can deal with that, great. If not, then it'll never work out in the long run. Amber said it best ... some people can deal with having a pilot for an SO ... some can't. As pilots, that's one of those things that is critically important to figure out when choosing a partner for life. Think too about the nature of commuting. Most pilots I know commute because that's where "she" wants to live. (Not in all cases, of course, but quite a few.) You could live in base and have more time at home, or commute and live wherever you want. Take my own example. I love Texas and would happily live there for the rest of my life. However, there are a handful of my new employer's pilot bases where I could be happy living for a while as well. I plan to live in Texas and commute for my SO ... because her family, education, and job all are there. She knows she'll see me less as a result, and has accepted it as a consequence of being with me. Also agree wholeheartedly with the FCAPA suggestion for your SO. It's good to have a support network for the times (and they will inevitably happen) when being with a commuting pilot gets extremely frustrating.