getting hired and family

[skywiz]

Just out or curiosity, any of you get hired with kids in the house? With say a wife and 2 kids, how difficult was it financially to transition from say a military job to an airline job? How did you deal with it to make ends meet?

Thanks for any responses.

 

[chase]

Thoughts

Looking at your hrs/profile I would think this may not be an issue for you for awhile but if not, there are several factors:

Two scenarios:

No break from military to civilian paycheck - priceless. Probably no problem for most since the pay drop will be minimal for the first couple of years (depending on your rank when you departed military)

Partial/big break from military paycheck to civilian - can be from simple to financially devasting. All depends on what you've done the 12-24 months prior to getting out. If you haven't stored up money & got your apps/types/requirements met for an actual interview/job offer, then you're screwed & you'll be on the street like so many others. It will take planning & even in these tough times it is doable.

> Can you continue flying with Guard/Reserve to keep flying/current & still make money while you're waiting for the interview/job offer call

> Multiple apps in for multiple stabs at getting an interview = job offer

Lots of variables to the question but if you don't have minimums (which you don't appear to have right now for most majors) this is all moot. You'll need to lower your vision & find a regional. charter, instructor job. I'm not qualified to speak on that but others on the other sites maybe. Good luck,


p.s. cherish the wife & kids (as you do obviously since you mentioned them), they're the most important things you have...#1 priority (preaching switch off)

 

[spanky2]

First-year airline life can be a challenge; finances, logistics, etc, and needs to be thought out ahead. Everyone who has gone thru it has different views. I had kids at home when I got hired. Are you separating or retiring??
Finances - have your expenses under control BEFORE you leave the military...get rid of any debt, plan your budget, it helps if the wife can work. If you can live where you are domiciled, do it. I chose to commute cause I liked where I lived and the kids were in good schools. I had some close calls with getting to work in my first year. No commuting is a HUGE stress and it is cheaper. You will spend a lot more $$ on a crash pad, food, commuting, etc than you realize.

 

[race#53]

Just out or curiosity, any of you get hired with kids in the house? With say a wife and 2 kids, how difficult was it financially to transition from say a military job to an airline job? How did you deal with it to make ends meet?

Thanks for any responses.

I asked the same thing about 2 pilots from Paraguy who seemed to be well off, they said " if your Father is poor , it is fate, if your Father-in-law is poor it's stupidity.
However, He who marries for money earns every cent.
We have one military and one civilian pilot in the family and their carriers are pretty much similar with the exception of my civil Son payed for all of the early flying time but he made it to the majors faster.
With Military pay as high as it is the shock is the first yr pay at the majors but most couples can pull off the transition with little problem. With interest rates as low as they are i would not hesitate to borrow to make it through the first year.

 

[Goose17]

a little more

Ditto to the above.

Get rid of all debt and have some serious cash in the bank. If you get on with a commuter and are there for some time, it could be financially devastating to you and your family. Single dude or married to wife with good job is a different story. Another potential is to not get a job for quite awhile (my case). I burned through serious cash while waiting in a "pool" to be hired. I continued to burn cash for the 1st year plus and I was lucky enough to get on with Fed Ex. If I were active duty, I would not show my hand (of getting out) until I had either a guard/reserve job or a good civilian job. Still, the most important thing you can do is align the financial stars. No debt and money in the bank. Last but not least, have a B-plan as I did. Before you separate, get some credit cards and have them raise your limit based on your military salary. If all else fails, and you are unable to get loans on the outside. You now have credit cards in your name with high limits (and probably high interest rates too). You can always live on credit and recover when you get a good job.

Plan, plan, plan.

Good luck.

Goose17, wife, 2-kids.

 

[skywiz]

Thanks for the quick responses. Some of you are right, I am not anywhere close to that position, but am thinking ahead a few years so I can be in a good financial postion when the time comes. Alot better to be thinking about this a few years ahead than 6 months ahead! Thanks!

 

[WhiteCloud]

I agree with all that has been said. Even if you plan ahead and so everything "right" to prepare for airline life you can still have the rug yanked out from under you through no fault of your own. Of course this can happen in any job..... BUT....it seems more prevalent in aviation. Unlike other industries, when you hire on as a new hire pilot you start at the bottom of the list regardless of your initial qualifications. When considering the needs of your family you may need to cross off a few opportunities that might be good for a flying career, but, would not be in your families best interest.

 

[LEROY]

Skywiz -

If you really are a SNA, you've got 7 to 8 years (T-45 - going to the boat?) of steady employment before you have to make any decisions about your career. I'd do like Goose said, and hold your cards close to your chest, for as long as you can. There's probably a whole other forum (and many threads) concerning getting good orders once you tell everyone you're getting out. You might even end up liking the military career. Don't knock it yet.

As for family, if you can survive the two or three deployments (at least, plus work-ups, and even conflicts) away from family, you probably won't have to worry too much about family life in the civilian sector. Money just ain't as important; like Chase said, you'll cherish the family first.

 

[AlbieF15]

Here is some more free advice, probably worth what you pay...

First...keep a logbook! Having notes scribbled in the margin might seem boring now, but years later you will treasure the memories of certain sorties and missions. I almost always include my flight members names. So..years later I can recall who flew what interesting missions, etc and it makes for a great trip down memory road. Also...those same stories and insights will be nice to have when you do start prepping for an interview.

Next...suck it up and get your ATP when you get 1200 hours, even if it will be several years before you get out. That will be one less check mark and one less 1000 buck (or more) check to write while you are trying to squirrel away money those last 18 months on active duty. Dabbling into some General Aviation along the way may also kindle an interest in a really neat part of aviation, but even if that's not your bag you'll still be glad you got the ATP early.

Next...make a file NOW of everyone you know who leaves to go to the airlines or reserves/ANG that you have worked for or with. Those contacts may be all the difference in 3 to 5 years.

The advice to charge straight ahead and enjoy the military is spot on...you need to get good at what you are doing NOW before you are any good to the airlines down the road. You will also have a blast doing it--I've already written a few posts on that subject. However, as you make your journey if you'll lift your eyes to that point 3-5 years away every once in a while and start knocking out requirements and keep your logbook and contacts up to date, you'll have a whole lot less frantic backtracking to do when and if you do separate.

And boy oh boy...the ANG was nothing less than a Gift from God to my family during the transition, and to a lot of my bros who were furloughed after 9/11. Even if you think you might want a "clean break", give serious consideration to continuing to serve after your active duty committment is over. I have found the ability to continue to fly, the extra income, and the chance to still don a green bag and rage with the bros every once in a while to all be very satisfying for a variety of reasons. NEVER slam a door behind you when you leave a room...you just might want to walk back in there someday.

Good luck.

 

[UGApilotDAWG]

AMEN!!!

Getting into a Naval Reserve P-3C squadron was the only thing keeping our heads above water for this family. Even after a tour as a multi engine advanced instrument instructor in the C-12 in Corpus, I was hesitant about rejoining the P-3C "mentality." However, in the Reserve most squadrons have kept the tight wardroom and cool atmosphere and have dumped all the active duty insanity making it a pretty cool place to fly. So DEFINITELY keep all your options open. The reserves can be pretty awesome as well as good pay and great for keeping instrument and flight hour currency. Also, if you can learn P-3 1950 systems, the 737 should be a breeze!

Aloha,
Les

 

[chazman]

Concur with all the above.

Albie's recommendation about keeping a list of everyone that has ever gone to the show is very important. It can be very awkward calling on a favor a few years down the road from someone that you haven't spoken to in about 5-6 years. So I recommend that you add these guys to your christmas card list. It may sound cheesy, but let me tell you it is much easier to send a note to someone that you have made the effort to keep in touch with a little bit than a cold call.

Chaz

 

[B190Captain]

Sell em all !!! Wife, kids, house, car and until you get a few years under your belt them get new everything. At least that is what you have to do at the Regionals.