Originally Posted by
BYOB
I need some real world advice from current Atlas pilots....
Interview scheduled in November. Atlas was a place I sought for a long time but I couldn't get them to give me the time of day. Fast forward to now and I've been offered to interview 4x, I'm finally taking it. I've got 12+ years at my regional, I'm fairly senior in domicile. No kids at home, just a wife that works. We love to travel, so losing the travel for the wife may be an issue. We are talking through the 17 day work schedules now, trying to gauge if my wife will be okay with it. Currently I'm home about every 4 days, with 3-4 days off between trips. 4-5 years ago I would have left in a heartbeat, but now... I just don't know if leaving is the right thing. Pay cut, but get to see the world. Commute, but no longer worry about a seat. Chance to make wide body captain relatively quick, but long periods away from home.
Always a yin to the yang. This is a very difficult decision for me. Before you suggest I read the previous 1200 pages.... I've been following this thread for a very long time. I've read all the pages, some of them several times. What I'm looking for is real-world, real-time suggestions of what you'd do if the tables were turned knowing what you know. I'm in the top 1/3 of my airlines seniority list with decent domicile seniority (i.e. I can get most weekends and holidays off) and I generally don't have a difficult time traveling non-rev. My wife and I try to get away for a few extended vacations 2X a year, usually a winter and summer vacation, taking advantage of travel benefits.
I know Atlas isn't FedEx or UPS. I also know that they are making a lot of profit per pilot compared to their freight dog contemporaries. I also know that the 4.5 years of 135 freight flying I flew was some of the most fun flying, with some of the best guys and gals that I could ever work with. I miss that. Scheduled 121, the babysitting, hand-holding, and bottom-line management style of the regional life wears on a guy. I come home exhausted and I don't look forward to going to work...at all! If you ask me today what my favorite part of being an airline pilot is at my current airline, I would say day 4, last leg, going home. I enjoy that more than anything. This makes me happy.
I'm looking for real world advice here. Flame away if you must, but this is a very big decision for my wife and I. I know that I'll trade frequent time away for larger blocks of time off. Is it worth it? Was it worth it to you?
Thanks in advance for all your replies, guidance, and advice.
-BYOB
I had a great regional job before Atlas. 12 minutes from the airport, one and two day trips. senior.
No regrets. Nor have I ever heard the words "....I should have stayed at [insert regional]" uttered in the cockpit, not matter how mad the other guy was at scheduling. Of course YMMV.
Do not over think the travel part. Not everyone builds up lots of airline miles at Atlas, but most do. And in any case real tickets are not that expensive and the hassle of pass travel seems to keep getting worse. Just buy your wife a ticket.
The bigger issue for the two of you to consider is how comfortable she is dealing with the full range of house issues when you are on the other side of the world. I have written about this before on this thread, and will simply say that this can be good job for both of you IF your wife can deal with whatever happens and you do not try to micromanage. On the other hand this will not work for you if your wife never mows the grass, you never fold laundry and the only thing that she knows to do when the car breaks is to call you.