Hello, I am currently going through flight school and have aspirations of being a commercial pilot with a family. I have been searching for programs which support pilots who have families. Are there any airlines which offer programs to assist employed pilots with maintaining a health work-family balance? Are there any programs to assist these pilots that are not affiliated with specific airlines?
Asher,
Honestly I’ve never heard of any such programs.
Further you should know that the healthy work/family balance you’re looking for probably isn’t going to happen for a few years after you gain some seniority.
Adam
Asher,
Huh… may I ask where you would have found this information? Unfortunately, when you’re employed in the airlines, everything is based around seniority and until you’re senior enough in base, you may miss out on some family events and life events (it’s just what comes with the job).
Brady
Thank you for the responses! I am aware that there really aren’t that many programs like this, which is why I am doing the research. I have a resource at Breeze who told me how this airline utilizes the slow times of the year to allow pilots to have more time off to spend with families. Anything similar to this would be very helpful for my research!
Yes it’s called “furlough” and it’s not a good thing 
Seriously, that usually means the airline is overstaffed and rather than actually cut their pilots loose, they’ll give them voluntary leaves or min credit lines.
Adam
Yes, that is true, haha!
The point is, some more family-driven pilots are eager to take advantage of these opportunities, so I am looking for similar ideas.
Asher,
Furlough is when it’s really bad… an overstaffing situation could also result in monthly temporary leave of absences or zero time lines. Basically, you bid/opt for zero flying that month. Some people who are financially secure can do that and spend more time with your family.
Also most airlines have community gatherings for family’s of the employee at their bases around holidays throughout the year. These events can be a great place to make friends and connect with those with similar lifestyles and challenges.
Hannah