Originally Posted by
proskuneho
Wow, you guys have all given me some great feedback and I have a lot to think about. On one hand, I think I would always regret it if I don't push forward and at least taste airline life for myself. On the other hand, my kids are so young and I don't want to be gone for so much of their youth.
Keep the comments coming; I need wise counsel...
To me, this is probably one of the strongest arguments against getting involved with airline flying. Being away from home so much kills me (especially right now, because I'm leaving home for 5 days at a time to sit reserve) and I don't even have kids. But my wife and I are planning to have children within the next few years, so what then? Maybe I'll have a better seniority number and a better schedule. But I still won't make enough money to support a family until I upgrade.... and then QOL goes back down to where I am today, unless I wait it out as an FO for a number of years.... making an FO's income all that time.
But let's just pretend for a moment that being away from home didn't matter so much. These are some other questions I would ask myself:
Am I planning to put my children through college? Are those educations already funded? (You are not likely to make enough money to contribute to this for many years. If you have outside sources of income, or are financially independent, perhaps you don't need to worry about this as much.)
Does my wife make enough money to support our household spending? If she's working (or has to take a job at some point), who will take care of the kids? (Especially if you're only home 12 days per month.)
Is my retirement plan sufficiently funded to keep me on par with my goals? (You are not likely to be capable of making substantial contributions for many years. If you have outside sources of income, or are financially independent, perhaps you don't need to worry about this as much.)
My answers to these questions (and other like questions) have provoked my interest in closing the Aviation Career chapter of my life.
If you decide to "take the plunge" (double entendre intended), probably the single thing you can do to improve your quality of life substantially is
live in base. Commuting is no fun. (Especially, as I mentioned above, when you are commuting to reserve.) When you live in base, you can be at home with the family on reserve. In addition, you will be in a better position to pick up premium pay trips which can improve your earning potential. Most of the time, I've found that difficult or impossible as a commuter.