90 Days With The Wife and Child.

[dmlong]

Anyone out there been through the 90 day course with wife and child/children by your side?

I'm looking for some good tips.

[Captain_Bob]

How close to your side do you mean?

I moved my family (wife and one daughter at the time) from Maine to DFW to attend the course in GKY. During the first 60 days we lived with my in-laws while I was simultaneously training and actively looking for a house.

We bought and moved into the new house during the last month of the program. Both the in-laws and our new house were within 5-10 minutes of the airport so I never stayed in the apartments.

Bob

[CaptainChris87]

My partner was married at the time, he lived about 10-15 minutes from the airport.

[dmlong]

My family and I are planning to stay in an apartment near GKY during my training. I wanted to see if someone had some tips on how to spend time with the family and complete a 90 day course at the same time, if possible.

[Fly_Unity]

Originally Posted by dmlong

My family and I are planning to stay in an apartment near GKY during my training. I wanted to see if someone had some tips on how to spend time with the family and complete a 90 day course at the same time, if possible.

Just do the 10 month program if you have the housing, you can still get it done in a couple months if you work at it.

when I was on the 90 day program, everyone ate, breathed, and slept aviation, sometimes I would study to 2am, and on my cross countries, me and my flight partner would quiz each other for hours in the plane, and in bed in the late night (when we got to bed). Even during volleyball students would quiz each other. It wasn't like the other type of schools that you go to class, then get to go home and relax.

[eastbayk]

Been there, done that about this time last year actually. We were in Jax, did the PPL and then the ACPP and instructing. It really wasn't all that bad. Our son was 3-4 during all this.

Here's some things that kept us sane:

- Studying had to be done outside of the house- at the airport, partner's house, library, apt. clubhouse. If he was home, it was too easy and distracting for all of us. I didn't care how long he was out studying,I knew there was a lot he had to learn, as long as when he was home he was ours. There really was no place for him to study in solitude at our apt. anyway and Kidzilla wouldn't have been able to leave him alone (with a younger kid this might not be a problem). Occasionally he was able to get in some study time when everyone else was sleeping.

- Some time had to be carved out for family each week. Didn't have to be daily, but we tried to go out to breakfast every sunday so we had some special family time. Ignoring your family completely is a sure path to an unhappy wife who will make your life miserable.

- Divide up tasks appropriately. I knew I couldn't expect him to be home helping with dinner every night, but he was still expected to pitch in. Gas stations and the dumpster are open 24 hrs, so are the library drop off bin and the post office... We divided up who was resposible for what so that I didn't feel like I was stuck with EVERYTHING. But I knew going into it that I was going to have to take on a large majority of household running.

- Aviation gets left at the door. Really, I don't give a crap about windspeed and weight and balance sheets. Airport gossip was another thing entirely though...

-Make a list of local "family" things to do. We keep a list on the fridge and whenever we have some family time, it's easy to find something special to do. It's all too easy to sit and home and waste the day. I refer to it when it's just me and Kidzilla to keep us busy too.

-Get your wife to join jetgirls.net. It's a great support group of other pilot wives.

I may come off as a harda$$ with my "rules" but they really did help us out and everyone who knows me or A-dub knows I'm not really that way. I see it as protecting my investment- in both his flying and our family.

If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me. I started a blog when he started instructing; there is a link in my sig.

Good luck!

k

[surreal1221]

K, great tips. May forward them off to my wife.

[dmlong]

K,
I agree with surreal.
Those were some great advices. My wife also agrees and says thanks. I will soon PM you another question if you don‘t mind.

[eastbayk]

A-dub reminded me of one of the most important things that i forgot!

Make sure you tell your wife how much you appreciate her. For leaving whatever she had to leave behind so you could do this, for supporting you in attaining your goal, for keeping everything running smoothly while you are occupied...

Just a little "thank you for being so good to me" goes a long way.

Hearing about how you would rather be at home than in a hot, sticky, cramped seminole with a flight partner who forgot to pack his deoderant and snores like a freight train for your 4 day cross country makes us feel like at least your sacrifice is equalling ours.

And our son thinks that the pens/pencils/soaps/ etc picked up from differnt FBO's along the way are the greatest treats ever.

K

[dmlong]

Originally Posted by eastbayk

A-dub reminded me of one of the most important things that i forgot!

Make sure you tell your wife how much you appreciate her. For leaving whatever she had to leave behind so you could do this, for supporting you in attaining your goal, for keeping everything running smoothly while you are occupied...

Just a little "thank you for being so good to me" goes a long way.

Hearing about how you would rather be at home than in a hot, sticky, cramped seminole with a flight partner who forgot to pack his deoderant and snores like a freight train for your 4 day cross country makes us feel like at least your sacrifice is equalling ours.

And our son thinks that the pens/pencils/soaps/ etc picked up from differnt FBO's along the way are the greatest treats ever.

K

Roger that.

Thanks again.