Are your parents like Australian? Do you have a US green card, or is your spouse (who won’t move to US) American? If you answered No to all 3……..getting hired by anyone in the US is going to be very difficult almost impossible unless you can change one of those answers to yes.

Who are you flying with now?

Commuting to US from Europe can be done………..and it is done by a select few. The difference is those individuals are very senior and don’t move (often times back) to Europe until having 15-20+ seniority.

How old are your kids? If they are grown?…..Check out FedEx with the Cologne base. I think that’ll really be your sweet spot, I think they just stopped hiring though.
If they are young go for the EU legacy carrier…….life happens once and you can’t go around.

Whatever you do don’t joint a U.S. ULCC ……..just don’t

 

I believe FedEx announced that they are closing their Cologne base.

 

I checked req for NIW visa and it should be feasible for me (advanced degree, tech background, etc.). However, before even considering applying, need to clarify if it is possible to do part time (translation: "drop trips"?) such that I can reasonably commute. Contracts in Europe are not better, 20 days away from home each month. Even at legacies.

Cargo is not an option for me.

Living in the US is not an option for my wife. And it seems distant for me, too. I enjoy living in an area where I don't need a car and children can play alone on the streets once they are 5 years old. Wife can go home, walking, alone, at night. University education for the children comes at no cost. Peaceful handovers between left- and right-wing governments after elections. Don't get me started on gender topics. However, I have nice memories of NE USA, its landscape and its people from 15+ years ago. Wonder what it is like there now...

 

I think if the worst case scenario works for you, then you should do it. then you would be pleasantly surprised if you are able to have a schedule of less hours in any given month. I think counting on the ability to consistently drop trips every month to give yourself more time at home is setting yourself up for disappointment and disillusionment.

I have known people that commute from Europe and Asia to the USA for airline pilot jobs. once they are used to it and have enough seniority to make the best of their schedules, they are happy with it. it isn't easy to get to that point. is it faster at JetBlue than elsewhere? I would seriously doubt it.

 

Thank you!

On what does it depend whther trips are droppable?

And is the concept of a "part time contract" foreign to US operators? Here in the EU, man carriers offer e.g. 90%, 80%, 70% even down to 35% with six weeks off, four weeks on.

 

We don’t do that in the US, at least at the airlines. Everyone is full-time. There’s only a chance you can drop trips but it isn’t guaranteed at all. It is based on reserve numbers for those days. If even one of the days doesn’t have enough coverage, it won’t be dropped. There is no part-time.

 

So as a foreigner to work as an Airman in the US you need an E3 visa, which right now is only open to Australian nationals. To work in Canada is a little bit more accessible for at least British pilots........not sure about Germans or other EU nationals. Granted in Canada not as much coin compared to pilots south of the 48th parallel.

You say Cargo No option, Legacy too much time away, Living in US not an option. Given your demands...........have you thought of another line of work?

You are correct ! To live the Utopian Northwestern European lifestyle (no car, children play alone) in a large cosmopolitan city, yeah we don't have that....well we do but it's not safe....subjective maybe but certainly not up to Northwest European standards.
Canadian cities have that to some extent.......but good luck affording Toronto or Vancouver.

As previously stated by myself and other posters.......to do what you want you need a lot of seniority........which you won't have.
You would probably have to wait about 15-20 years.........to get your desired result.

I have just recently flown with a someone who commutes from Athens (two legged via Frankfurt) and he has like 20 year seniority.

 

you can be part time at Spirit, I really hope everyone understands thats at JB. ….

 

How does part time at NK work? Or is this another drop-to-zero thing where you’d start with 75hrs and drop half of it?

 

Yes, he's talking about DTZ.