Voluntary
 

All I am saying is that if your are a parent then you have an obligation to participate in the duties that come along with it. If you have a job that demands that you be away from home then it had better come with benefits that offset the fact that you are not home to help like a good income.

In addition I am sure that the kids would prefer that both parents be home if they could. If you have a career that takes you away from home a lot and does not pay very well then what good are you as a spouse and parent if you are not making a contribution?

In my experience I have seen plenty of families where the spouse had to work in order to pay the bills because the pilot did not earn enough. However if there is plenty of money then why even have kids at all if no one wants to be home to raise them?

In another thread a pilot has admitted that they earn twice as much as a mailman then they did as a regional airline pilot. Go and check it out.

Skyhigh

Deployment
 

It has been the topic of movies and TV lately. If you are married and have kids should you voluntarily hold yourself out for military service when you know it will lead to an extended time away from home?

Who do you owe your elegances to first? Your country, family or a desire to serve? Everyone has to make that decision for themselves but I would say if a person has a family then their first obligation is to them.


Skyhigh

:) So once again you show your materialistic side.
If you are away from home and make a high salary then it is ok that one is gone all the time.
Why have kids? Procreation doesn't come with a set of regs. Maybe it should, but there is no minimum salary set.
Part of that obligation you speak of is providing. No matter how insufficient you think it is, a job - even as a pilot - provides something to the family. It may even provide something to the person doing the job.

Once again - you are just trying to peddle your ideas, emotions, and feeling of self-worth onto others and you can't stand it that others don't see the world through those same glasses.

I'm sorry Sky.

USMCFLYR

So only unattached people should give service that provides you with the freedoms that you enjoy everyday?

You dare call others who chose a profession in aviation selfish?

Sleep well tonight Sky.
Others are taking care of your and your family.
Enjoy.

USMCFLYR

Skyhigh, what is your mission here? To have every single airline pilot quit their jobs? Why do you lurk here constantly insulting our profession? Someone has to do the job, and that's us, you gave it up, why not man up to your decisions and take accountability for the direction your life went, and stop blaming everyone else for your misfortunate airline career.

I was just looking for the good if there is any to be had as an airline pilot as well as being a husband/father. I know all about the industury and how "great" it is. There must be good in aviation or is everyone divorced, single, and have no kids?

You can listen to those that say that there are both (in any industry) or those that say it can't be done.
If you believe that, then take their advice and find another career; and then come back and tell us what career you find where Nirvana exists so we can all come there ;)

USMCFLYR

As I have read through this thread and many others similar to it, there seems to be a connection between flying and the success of a marriage. Traveling and being away from home can certainly be stressful on a marriage, but that, in my opinion, is more of a catalyst than a cause for a failure. The success or failure of a marriage has more to do with the marriage itself and how committed the man and woman are to it than any flying job anywhere.

As USMCFLYR mentioned in his above post, what career field will "Nirvana" exist? If one has the top airline piloting job in the industry and is happily married, will that marriage still be intact if the flying job disappears and the man is now forced to work "9 to 5" for a third of the pay? Hopefully the happiness is centered around a strong marital commitment and not the paycheck. Our salaries are not set in stone, our wedding vows should be.:)

Many pilots have a 20-30+ year careers married with children. I fly with guys that are paying for their children's college & are still happily married. They participate in all aspects of parenthood & being a good father.

Marriages do not fail because someone is a pilot. Lawyers, doctors, wall street workers, business men, construction workers, police men, firefighters, military men, and MANY other people in other professions have failed marriages every year. Every profession has the guy/gal on their 3rd marriage working all the OT they can get to make the alimony payments. It's part of the world, not a particular profession.

Completely agree. Very well said. :)