Etihad info

[typhoonpilot]

Thanks Typhoon, I really appreciate it, the thought of being number 12,600 out of 13000 at the new American at 49 isn't adding up to good, reserve narrowbody Capt at 58-60 isn't looking so hot

There a quite a large number of Americans here at EK who are looking at going back to the USA if they can get hired. Many who have been captains for quite a few years. It's nice being a widebody captain, but at the end of the day living in your own country and QOL is more important to many.

Being an expat for a few years is quite easy. It's an adventure. You see and do many interesting things that you might never have been able to do in your home country. Over time though, and especially around the ten year mark, it isn't as much fun and you start yearning to get back home.

Of course everybody is different. Once that widebody captain box is ticked one's career fulfillment becomes less important and QOL comes to the fore.




TP

 

[sniper]

Disagree. EK is not short pilots....if they were, they would have given a bonus for this year to attract more qualified people in addition to opening the DEC window.

No Bonus for this year....a raise is yet to be seen. There is still a steady stream of guys from failing carriers around the world and carriers like Ryanair who are feeding the need.

no bonus? amazing

 

[sniper]

There a quite a large number of Americans here at EK who are looking at going back to the USA if they can get hired. Many who have been captains for quite a few years. It's nice being a widebody captain, but at the end of the day living in your own country and QOL is more important to many.

Being an expat for a few years is quite easy. It's an adventure. You see and do many interesting things that you might never have been able to do in your home country. Over time though, and especially around the ten year mark, it isn't as much fun and you start yearning to get back home.

Of course everybody is different. Once that widebody captain box is ticked one's career fulfillment becomes less important and QOL comes to the fore.




TP

Really? Usair is hiring,

 

[cameltoad]

Typhoon I was just wondering, these Captains going back, 1 how old are they and 2, how far up the list are they at their respective airlines? I know the expat life can have its trials but hanging out here 350 from the bottom and 49 years old just isn't adding up when EY will make me a capt and prob wide body in a few years
Thoughts?

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Seems to be attached directly with age...! Pilots have notorious short memory, it is like the fish on the bowl.. Hum? That pebble seems familiar! Everybody and their mother will get a job in the new world order of this unprecedented hiring wave, but what people don't seem to realize is that pilot retirements is not a new thing and hiring has always and will always be cyclical, I have been through a couple of these hiring waves that were called unprecedented and supposed to be the "new way" for the foreseeable future, just to be proven to be a cycle, what a surprise...! those of us that are old enough to grasp that reality
Are not looking at it at all, and those that are at mainline carriers that have been screwed in the whole seniority lists at an advanced age, seem to be also looking for options, I'm getting as much traffic from mainline guys sending PM's asking for information as anything else, wether they will pull the trigger and actually make the jump remains to be seen, but they are asking..!

I think it is the same with pilots that are working abroad now, the ones that are young enough to take the gamble that they will climb on the list far enough not to become furlough fodder, and that are young enough to recover from the pay cut (assuming mainline contracts remain unaltered for some time, something else that has never been the case) will take the leap of faith, the older crowd is asking, but how many will actually make the jump? I suspect that not that many will actually come back state side that are 50+

 

[typhoonpilot]

Typhoon I was just wondering, these Captains going back, 1 how old are they and 2, how far up the list are they at their respective airlines? I know the expat life can have its trials but hanging out here 350 from the bottom and 49 years old just isn't adding up when EY will make me a capt and prob wide body in a few years
Thoughts?

I know one guy late 30s who left to go back to AA. He was probably there for 5-7 years before he came to EK. Another who is ex TWA is sticking it out here until he has to go back, but he will definitely go back when the last chance deadline hits. One ex NWA guy in his fifties left to go to UniCal as an F.O.

We've lost 12 guys a month for the last 3 months and that is likely to continue, if not accelerate. Many are American. Some of those are guys who came as DECs 7-10 years ago and are now retiring.

Captain on an A320 with the Etihad package looks enticing from where you sit, I can see that. But the reality of those night turn-arounds to the Sub-Continent are going to be a brutal wake up call to the reality of the flying we do. That type of flying takes years off your life.

I'm not saying don't do it, just be prepared for what it entails. It is always a personal decision based on what is best for you and your family. Only you can know what that is.

At 49 you'd realistically be stuck here for the rest of your career, or have to go DEC somewhere else. That option gets more and more difficult as you get into your fifties so by 58-60 your definitely stuck here. 15-16 years would be a long time to be in the desert.

Heck, even I think about going back to the bottom of DAL at age 48 just so I can be home more often. No longer any need to tick the widebody captain box so I'd be content in the right seat of a narrowbody.


TP

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Heck, even I think about going back to the bottom of DAL at age 48 just so I can be home more often.TP

I sincerely hope that works out for you....! My friends at DAL are not spending anymore time at home than I am, you might not have the need to be on the left seat of a heavy, but you certainly don't remember what is like to be a junior F/O on a DC9 in DTW....! LOL!

 

[typhoonpilot]

I sincerely hope that works out for you....! My friends at DAL are not spending anymore time at home than I am, you might not have the need to be on the left seat of a heavy, but you certainly don't remember what is like to be a junior F/O on a DC9 in DTW....! LOL!

Thanks, like I said it was a thought.

I'm actually leaving for a month on / month off job still on a heavy.


TP

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Thanks, like I said it was a thought.

I'm actually leaving for a month on / month off job still on a heavy.


TP

Ufff! I thought for a second that you have lost your marbles....! LOL! All the best compadre! Let us know how things are going for ya!

 

[WYOMINGPILOT]

Thanks, like I said it was a thought.

I'm actually leaving for a month on / month off job still on a heavy.


TP

Best of Luck on your new job. These new gigs in China are becoming one of the best deals going for an ExPat. If you live in a city where you have layovers then it will become even better. China Southern and Hainan are offering these type contracts as they seek highly qualified widebody Captains. The ME carriers will have a tough time competing with these type contracts.