Have you ever dumped a significant other for a airline career?

[Rally]

Title says it all. Ever left someone for a aviation job or career because it would be easier or they were not open to the "airline" lifestyle? (wish I could do a poll)

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Many pilots I have worked with have done this 3-4 times. Two to three ex wives, 4 kids with 3 women, and still trying to screw the hot new flight attendant to mess up the current relationship. I know it is not limited to the aviation industry but it sure seems to be predominant.

 

[HDA]

Title says it all. Ever left someone for a aviation job or career because it would be easier or they were not open to the "airline" lifestyle? (wish I could do a poll)

Dont do it...not for this career!

 

[Tim47SIP]

It's called AIDS

Lots of airline pilots have this. THere is now cure for it. No immunization, or pill you can take. It is spreading and is very insidious.

It is Airline Induced Devorce Syndrome

 

[Flyer1015]

Not worth it. Not anymore. Chances are your significant other will outlast any airline today with oil prices at $110/barrel (and will continue to rise).

Stick with her.

 

[LearLove]

I dated a girl 6+ years (thru college and 2 after) and thought we were going to ge married but when I got my first 121 gig she wasn't with the life so she left me. o well - should have saw it comming - got my first 135 airline job out of college and she could put up with that (as an fo I was part of the sked 135, basically tue to thru flying) but after a year I upgraded and was traditional on demand 135 (24-7 pager) and that sealed the breakup deal.

guess she thought i outgrow the flying thing and get a job in engineering (what I majored in) and do the 9 to 5 thing. Sorry babe, not me, I have this f'ing desease called "aviation" in my blood.

 

[AWACoff]

Women come and go. Aviation will always be there for you. If your significant other was THAT significant, they would not ask you to stop pursuing your lifelong dream.

 

[pdub20s]

M.O.B. Money over B*tchs......

 

[rtmcfi]

M.O.B. Money over B*tchs......

This coming from a guy that works at Mesa. You need option C. No money, and not home enough to find any b*tchs.

Just yanking your chain!

To the OP, it all depends on how significant the other is. If this is a short term, Mrs. right-now, leave her for the job. Those kind are like a bus. There will be another one coming along shortly. If she is a great long-term prospect, and what you really want, you would be a well served to pick her over this so-called "career."

 

[ALIMBO]

Women come and go. Aviation will always be there for you. If your significant other was THAT significant, they would not ask you to stop pursuing your lifelong dream.

True that women are a dime a dozen coming out of a decently look relationship for my age I realized thank god that ******************** is over. As upset as I was it probably would have never worked out considering the schedule I would have. Easiest way for me to get over it was realize that there is going to be a women that will love me for who I am and understand the reason why I fly because its a passion and if they don't want to deal with it they can peace the fu*k out!

 

[willbob]

Women come and go. Aviation will always be there for you. If your significant other was THAT significant, they would not ask you to stop pursuing your lifelong dream.

Bingo!

If she/he hates flying what else are you going to give up for them? sunday football, guns, muscle cars, going out with your friends, porn, and the list goes on and on.

I think of that ad for some internet dating site, which I am sure we have all seen at 3 in the morning because the drunk hockey parents woke you up on the high speed, "Oh my favorite sport? football!" yeah right until she whats to start picking out babyroom colors on a Sunday afternoon.

Doesn't matter if its aviation if they won't support you; run, don't walk, but run away.

 

[OrphicSeth]

It's all about finding the right significant other here folks. Then there's nothing to worry about. That doesn't mean there's never a need to do some MX once in a while, but ideally, both sides realize the other person is just that, another person, and respects them for that, and supports them as necessary. Not exactly rocket science, but it takes work and patience, rewarded with big dividends.

 

[711-24-7]

I would not even think about it, and point her to a door!!!!

 

[paid4training]

I waz married for 3 years when one day in an disagreement she told me she did not want me to be a pilot. Why couldn't I get a 9 to 5 job like everyone else...I told her I did not want her to be a freakin teacher, she smelled like chalk and corndogs. Well we lasted about a month after that. Then I saw her like 3 years later and she had gained like 100 pnds so it kindda worked out in the end.

Flows before ho's man...lol

 

[11thHour]

Dont do it...not for this career!

Truth! It would be a cold day in hell before I'd give up on my wife for any job, let alone this job!

 

[satpak77]

Women come and go. Aviation will always be there for you. If your significant other was THAT significant, they would not ask you to stop pursuing your lifelong dream.

and...

Truth! It would be a cold day in hell before I'd give up on my wife for any job, let alone this job!

go get 'em guys. That airline job or corporate gig will always be there, won't it. Don't give up the dream. And when you retire and get old I am sure it will change your pee bag and visit you in the nursing home.

Don't forget to re-up your Kit Darby subscription this year by the way

 

[BEfly]

I was fortunate enough to have both. But I don't know what will happen once I get hospitalized due to liver disease, or lung cancer, or when I get laid off.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

It is a lot more difficult to find the "right one" than it is to get a flying job

 

[WAZUP]

Had a significant other break up with me, best thing that ever happened she was a head case and had a kid. On the other hand she has implants now so that would have been kinda fun, call me shallow i guess.

 

[Guitar Guy]

I did the 9-to-5 engineering gig for the first 8 years of my marriage and then started flying. My wife was very supportive of the career change despite the hardships that it placed on her, from having to move to having to deal with a lot of things when I'm gone. Thank God she continues to feel that way today.

Placing a job above someone you really love indicates a very warped sense of values.

 

[eyeamthechosen1]

See it all depends on the significant other and if flying makes you happy that person won't ask you to give it up.

 

[CFI2766]

'Flows before ho's....' Simple, I like it!

I already gave up one flying career for a wife candidate. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I think about it, and regret it, at least once, sometimes more often, every day of my life. This mistake of mine leads me to where I'm at: I'm a mid thirties, rookie FO at a regional, where my peers from the time of the 'girl/career' decsion are 0-4s flying F-16s, or, 767 FOs at a Legacy.

Suppose you jettison the flying career to get a normal 9-5. What's to say she wont later dictate that she doesn't like your 'new' career and make you start all over? Maybe she won't like your car. Your routine. Your hair. What's next?

I know that this is a difficult time for you. Please, for your own sake, don't do it. Have a straight forward, open conversation, not argument, with your significant other. This issue could simply be an issue of communication. However, if not, it is FAR better now that you settle your tab for 'pain' at the bar of life, than to wait until the end of your working life to pay a bill of regret. Regret later is FAR worse than pain today.

I don't know you, or all of your story, but I'd guess that flying is a big part of your life. Simple question: do you spend as much time on wwwtheknot.com as you do on FI?

 

[Ralph Cramden]

Stay true to the career.

After all, nobody screws you better than the flying job!

 

[Captain Morgan]

I dated a latina in CA for three years. She made great tamalis (sp?) and it was hard letting that,.. er her go. When I got my freight job and went to Alabama, she said "no way am I living in Alabama..." So I said, no way is this going to work if you can't see the big picture and see that I'm not going to live in Alabama forever. I haven't talked to her in 4 years. I'm married to a girl who understands the business, is a nurse, and who's father was a Navy pilot so she knows how it goes. Stick to the constant in the equation which is you career, the right variable (the girl) will present herself and FIT into the equation. Also, I have lived by the saying, "if you try to make everyone happy, you'll make no one happy."

CM

 

[rickair7777]

If you're really into flying a girl who really cares about you will either

- Be OK with it.

- Or leave you so as not to drag you down.

If she asks you to give up something you really like doing, that would indicate a selfish perspective.

This assumes she knew the deal all along...if you already have a job, family, and life then you should not switch to flying unless she is %100 OK with it.

 

[GuppyWN]

It's a balancing act but if you're having to decide I'd question the motives/integrity of the one making you have doubts.

Gup

 

[Cardinal]

First girlfriend out of high school, after a couple lackluster years I got a regional job 1700 miles away, in an environment where any regional that hired you was a great regional. I looked her up and down, said "meh," and headed west. She then proceeded to screw my best friend and accuse me of alcoholism, but that was just her way of moving on.

Best of all; she used to be 5'9" and skinny, hot as all hell. Now she's 5'9" and a whale.

 

[ackattacker]

Hmmm... "flows before hos" is a pretty shallow and warped sense of values. The only real things worthwhile in this world is family and friendships. When you are lying alone on your deathbed are remembering your life are you going to get the warm fuzzies from remembering how you were Captain SkyGod at XYZ Airlines, I don't think so.

That said I would never let a woman dictate my career choices. I don't go for the control freak. Life is a compromise and for the right woman I would willingly sacrifice a lot. For my last relationship I turned town an very good job offer overseas. But that was my decision, not hers. The relationship didn't work out, and I'm a little bitter about some things, but I'm not bitter about the job because that was my decision not hers. I would do it again just for the chance that she might have been "the one". I have much fonder memories of our relationship than I've ever had from any job.

 

[Raskal]

Hmmm... "flows before hos" is a pretty shallow and warped sense of values. The only real things worthwhile in this world is family and friendships. When you are lying alone on your deathbed are remembering your life are you going to get the warm fuzzies from remembering how you were Captain SkyGod at XYZ Airlines, I don't think so.

That said I would never let a woman dictate my career choices. I don't go for the control freak. Life is a compromise and for the right woman I would willingly sacrifice a lot. For my last relationship I turned town an very good job offer overseas. But that was my decision, not hers. The relationship didn't work out, and I'm a little bitter about some things, but I'm not bitter about the job because that was my decision not hers. I would do it again just for the chance that she might have been "the one". I have much fonder memories of our relationship than I've ever had from any job.

Well said for the most part. The most important thing in life is NOT your job, it is everything but. I am on my second marriage, my first did not end because of aviation but at the same time I would not have given it up to save the marriage. In my life now, I would give this career up in a heartbeat for my wife...maybe that is the difference.

 

[PBRstreetgang]

M.O.B. Money over B*tchs......

SWS,
Shiny Weiner Syndrome, it's like SJS only for the messa folks they can't get laid while lugging a hunk of plywood thru the airport. Its tough to hit the hotel bar, when your hotel is the back of a shiny RJ and the liquor is all accounted for. I guess you are the Captains Biatch!
PBR