Originally Posted by
But seriously
Thats all true. It also only addresses the $$$ part.
A NBCA will work for that money. The WBFO will have to spend half an hour finding his uniform because it’s been 4 months since he needed it…
As an adult, professional, etc. I actually miss feeling engaged with the operation. I don’t like the uncomfortable feeling of sitting down to program the FMC and fumbling around because it’s been so long. I like flying airplanes.
On the other hand, as a parent and spouse, Ita pretty awesome that I can pay all the bills and still make every kids soccer game and every birthday. The kids don’t even bother asking when I’m working anymore, they just expect I’ll be there in the morning.
To each their own. I genuinely don’t think either lifestyle is “better” they are just different. It probably depends on your phase of life too.
Everything goes in cycles and the current staffing on the WBs definitely isn’t sustainable long term. A year from now the WB guys could be getting worked over and the NB all sitting around twiddling their thumbs because of some Boeing F’up…
I've been following (and contributing to) this thread because it really cuts to the heart of my matter, too. WB FO, Reserve, live in base, NEVER work. I coach little league (my kid says "you're more of an ASSISTANT coach." He's not wrong.), I work the chain gang during football season.
I'm also a borderline liability on the flight deck. I just did a CBT module on ground ops safety, and it mentions that ORD tops all our incidents, and recommends that familiarity with the airport is key. Well, if I ever worked at United Airlines, I'd probably be more familiar with the United hubs. On the rare event that I get to Chicago, I am that guy on the radio. I don't like fumbling around with the flows and trying to remember the gotchas in the FMC. No amount of chair flying (which makes the list every day I sit at home but gets done none of the days I sit at home) can replace actual flying.
My bills get paid. But I'm 53 tomorrow and lost more than a decade, so more money would be more money. It's awesome to not work. But I can't stop thinking about upgrade. It's absurd that the safest thing I could do would be to upgrade on an airplane I've never flown...just so that I could fly the operation.
But no amount of video calling and texting can replace actual fathering. And being present for my 9 year old is the most important job I'll ever have. Until it's being present for my 10 year old. But I also get less relevant in his eyes with each passing year. Until I'm not. My "phase of life" is a hybrid due to my lost decade and the late age at which my son arrived.
The original poster lives in base and seems willing to trade dollars for time off to go on WB FO reserve in Newark. I am torn about trading time off for dollars to go to a NB CA line in SFO. I will wait until I can hold a line, which won't be long now, and maybe give it one more football season...it's wonderful to have these choices, but they are trade offs.
Tick tock goes the career clock. I worry that the NB upgrades will dry up while I sit on the sidelines and wonder if this is the time.