I grew up in a pilot family; my dad retired from United Airlines in 1995 when it was still doing well. It was great being able to fly standby and be spontaneous, but it also meant my dad was gone a lot.
Since terrorists decided to use jets as bombs in 2001 the airline industry has never been the same. There are many other reasons for that, which I’m not going to delve into right now. My pilot brother, Tom, got hired by Comair (a regional carrier for Delta) just after 9/11. He was blessed to get an offer since a lot of pilots couldn’t find jobs then. Tom and his wife, Jen, could take off together for a weekend or go see her family in Florida for free – how cool. But, now he’s worried about his job. He and another Comair friend of ours, Dave, are commuting from where they live to their base in another part of the country, which is even harder on the family life. Actually none of the dozen or so pilots that I know actually have a decent schedule or even like their job right now. They love the actual flying, but not all the junk that comes with it.
I guess my point is that I’m really feeling the strain of pilot life on my friends and family and that’s what’s on my mind today. Jet-setting is glamourous, but I think airline benefits are outweighed by the stress that the industry is facing.