Originally Posted by kaputt

I was going to suggest one of the fractional companies like NetJets where you can get a fixed and predictable schedule like 7 on and 7 off. The fact that your current wife wishes to remain in Germany is definitely tough and I wish I had better advice. Seriously wish you the best in this.

Originally Posted by MrIceCreamMan

Thank you. I will take a look into that option to see if it could work.

Yes, it complicates things, but we should hopefully have a judges decision soon on that and can move forward.

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Originally Posted by MrIceCreamMan

Hello,

I am roughly two years from the end of my USAF UPT 10-year commitment. I am an IP (Instructor Pilot) with relatively low hours for my age/time in service (long-term DNIF ~7 months & non-flying assignment). I was enlisted for six years prior to my commission and graduation from UPT. I have ~1500 total hours (~300 PIC/~125 IP). I have 15 years of total time in service and I believe it may be best for me to separate instead of attempting to complete the final three years to retirement after my current commitment is up in 2024.

My questions:

-What opportunities are out there for someone who has 50/50 custody of their child/children? I am not yet divorced and would love to save my marriage but I am not in control of that decision right now. I am proceeding as if I will maintain 50/50 custody.

-Where should I focus my attention (Majors, Regionals, other)? I am location agnostic, for the most part (I'm from Buffalo, NY -- wife is from NW Arkansas). I would love to live in Europe (We are still in Germany as of the time of this writing) but I understand that is not practical given the current unsettled situation.

-Is it even feasible to think I could maintain 50/50 custody as a new airline pilot? For some context, the divorce/custody situation is not amicable, so I do not expect any accommodation/understanding from my wife. It is her desire to remain in Germany (and for me to move back to the US).


I appreciate any input from those in the know. Until a few weeks ago, I never even considered the airlines as an option. Life threw some curveballs and I'm attempting to adjust and adapt. Please feel free to ask questions and I'll be as transparent as possible to help get to some logical answers.


Thanks,

-Tom

Originally Posted by B727DRVR

Sorry to hear about your situation and I hope that things get better for you..



I second Kaput’s suggestion about the enhanced Quality of Life enjoyed by Fractional Pilots. At my operation, I know my schedule 1 year in advance, which enables my family to have a bi-coastal life living at the beach in NC AND in SMF for my Wife’s job. Whenever we travel to the jet, we are issued expensive, positive space tickets often issued at the last minute, which gives us enhanced miles, on SWA anyway. We keep all these miles, hotel points, rental car points, Uber/Lyft perks, etc. for ourselves and we are all Titanium or Platinum level at most hotels and airlines.There is no junior manning, displacement bids, base closures, etc., and our Sector actually hired pilots during the Covid Summer of 2020. The above reasons, combined with my Wife’s job, are the reasons I never went back to Part 121 after the Great Recession. We have pilots commuting from Italy and Scotland to name a few, and they regularly finish me up wherever I ask, like to meet my Wife and son in SAN or MCO to take him to Universal Studios.



While a Fractional Pilot’s paycheck will never match a Legacy (or Legacy Cargo) pilots paycheck, a Netjets pilot’s paycheck and QOL will give some of the LCC’s a run for their money, especially if they don’t live in base.

Originally Posted by rickair7777

Between pax, cargo, ACMI, and fracs there are a variety of scheduling systems and lifestyles to be had.

The pros and cons as I see them:

Pax:
Pros: Legacies have best pay and generally max time off. Flexible schedules with a little seniority. Various fleets offer varied shedules and lifestyle. Some of them have massive retirements right now, you can enjoy what would normally be decades worth of seniority progression in a just few years.
Cons: Pax

FDX/UPS:
Pros: Good money, right up there with legacies (FDX and DL I think lead the pack right now). Similar time off as pax airlines. No PAX to deal with.
Cons: Night flying. You can avoid this with some seniority. Safety regs not at the level of pax 121.

ACMI:
Pros: Decent money. Time off in large blocks. See the world. Many pilots love these gigs.
Cons: Work trips in 2-3 week blocks. Lots of time zones. Safety regs (and possibly Mx) not at the level of pax 121. W&B can kill you. Defensive countermeasures not installed.

Fracs:
Pros: Advance schedule, consistent schedule, may have some schedule options depending on company and fleet. Lots of perks with travel points. Paid commute.
Cons: Less money, very long upgrade. Every work day is a long day even if you don't fly, so 7 days with limited opportunity for exercise, etc. Menial duties such as cabin/lav cleaning if your pride cares about that. May occasionally have to tolerate a-hole pax, although that's actually rare as I understand it (in airlines, if pax is an a-hole to any crew they simply get removed). In my experience most wealthy people got there with genuine people skills, so mostly not natural a-holes. But there's always a few.

Originally Posted by tnkrdrvr

I think your biggest challenge may be the legal side if the divorce happens. However, unless your wife is planning to marry a German national, I doubt she will be able to hang out indefinitely in Germany. I would proceed on the assumption that she will move back to the states. I’m pretty sure she will have to file for divorce stateside since neither of you are residents of Germany. That means you should be able to pursue a “normal” airline pilot child custody agreement and take the best job that hires you.