My husband and I want to both be pilots and fly together at the same airline preferably in the same plane. Any advice on where to go and what other couples are flying together? We’ve been working together professionally driving and doing construction the last 12 years so we’ll be fine working together but we we’re wondering the steps to make that happen. Thank you for the advice.
Bernadette,
The process to getting to an airline is the same regardless if you do it with your husband or not. You’ll both need to get all your ratings, build your hours to 1500, apply to the same regional, get hired and placed on the same aircraft. Even if that all happens and in a parallel timeline, you both will be First Officers so you won’t actually ever fly together unless one of you upgrades to Captain while the other is still an FO.
You don’t mention any flying experience so far. Have you gone flying in small trainers? You also don’t mention your age or if you have a college degree, but time is of the essence if you want to pursue this career. Airlines are hiring like crazy right now, but it won’t last long. If you both plan on doing this, apply for financing, get First Class Medicals and decide which location you will do your training at. You will both need to quit your jobs and be full time committed to flight training which could be difficult unless you have some savings to live off of.
I’m not saying it’s impossible but it’s going to be challenging. Two loans, two training programs, two jobs needed to build time, two CJO’s to the regionals, etc. I just want you to have realistic expectations.
Hannah
Bernadette,
Hannah covered the nuts and bolts really well so I’ll address you folks working together. The biggest thing to consider is at some point one of you is going to have to make some sacrifices.
EVERYTHING at the airlines is based on seniority. If you and your husband start together and get hired together you’ll have comparable seniority, both be FOs and therefore won’t be flying together. At some point you’ll both be eligible to upgrade. The good part is that means a considerable raise for whoever takes the upgrade and that’s also the opportunity for you to fly together as a crew. Problem is one of you will have to not upgrade and stay at the lower payscale. To further complicate things the person who can upgrade and doesn’t, while sacrificing pay will have greater seniority as an FO and will have a much better schedule. Now you could fly together but the FO will be sacrificing their better schedule.
I know a few couples who fly together but it’s rare as most would rather have the greater joint income but that a personal decision.
Adam
Bernadette,
I think it will be very difficult for you and your husband to fly together anytime in the next several years, even approaching five to ten years. One of you will have to be senior enough to hold a Captain position at an airline, that will take several years. By that point you will both probably be thinking of applying to the majors, which will reset that clock again. I would focus more on having similar schedules than trying to actually fly together.
Chris