Family Life in the Aviation Career Path

[insanebikerboy]

An interesting article on divorce rates, kinda funny b/c I got this in an email this morning. It's a long read but the gist is that the divorce rates go in decreasing order, enlisted female (most likely), enlisted male, officer female, officer male (the least likely).


http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2007/RAND_MG599.pdf

 

[schmiddj]

Recommendation on a family-friendly career aircraft choice (especially E-2/C-2)

I'll start off by apologizing if this has been asked in some way elsewhere (as it inevitably has and I just can't seem to find it).

I'm on the fence when it comes to choosing a pipeline, and I have to consider the needs of my family in the immediate future (no children, YET). I mainly got interested in Naval aviation because of the idea of using an 800 ft runway in the middle of the ocean , though. I also have aspirations of attending test pilot school (USNTPS).

I've heard that jet pilots are deployed all of the time, which is no bueno. I'm currently attached to HSL-49 for ROTC summer cruise, which has naturally got me a little interested in helicopters, though I'd still like to fly fixed-wing. I've heard great things about C-2As, and the E-2D certainly sounds enticing (though it sounds like a crapshoot between the two, and I'd really prefer C-2s). The P-8 is also a little exciting, though I'd rather frequent the carrier deck. Sorry to all the E-6 pilots, but I'm really not interested in Oklahoma or the 707, especially after training in a 727 sim for 2 years at Purdue.

Considering all of this, can anyone help me with some deployment experience on these aircraft, or with pointers about what to expect for time away from home? Any recommendations on the best route for becoming a test pilot? Throwing objectivity to the wind, what's the best aircraft to fly? Many thanks for any help.

 

[Brett327]

I'll start off by apologizing if this has been asked in some way elsewhere (as it inevitably has and I just can't seem to find it).

I'm on the fence when it comes to choosing a pipeline, and I have to consider the needs of my family in the immediate future (no children, YET). I mainly got interested in Naval aviation because of the idea of using an 800 ft runway in the middle of the ocean , though. I also have aspirations of attending test pilot school (USNTPS).

I've heard that jet pilots are deployed all of the time, which is no bueno. I'm currently attached to HSL-49 for ROTC summer cruise, which has naturally got me a little interested in helicopters, though I'd still like to fly fixed-wing. I've heard great things about C-2As, and the E-2D certainly sounds enticing (though it sounds like a crapshoot between the two, and I'd really prefer C-2s). The P-8 is also a little exciting, though I'd rather frequent the carrier deck. Sorry to all the E-6 pilots, but I'm really not interested in Oklahoma or the 707, especially after training in a 727 sim for 2 years at Purdue.

Considering all of this, can anyone help me with some deployment experience on these aircraft, or with pointers about what to expect for time away from home? Any recommendations on the best route for becoming a test pilot? Throwing objectivity to the wind, what's the best aircraft to fly? Many thanks for any help.

Family friendly platform? No such thing. Nobody is deployed all the time and everyone gets their fair share of time away from home. If that's not your cup of tea, you might want to reconsider your career choices.

Sorry Bro, it's just the truth.

Brett

 

[Herc_Dude]

Cessna 172

 

[helo_wifey]

Fly what you want to fly, what you're interested in and find fun. If you don't enjoy what you're doing that'll carry over to your personal life, just like if something is going on in your personal life it will carry over to work. I would personally feel terrible if my husband chose something that he had to do for 8 years (at least) because of me and hated it.

You're still in college, so I think you've got a little time to think about this and prep your wife (future wife??) into what the Navy is going to be like. Navy = deployments. There are very large numbers of people who have fairly normal home lives (with children and all) and still aren't home a lot.

There are a few threads floating around here that might have some good information for you, like these:

http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140622&highlight=family
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=133168&highlight=family
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6267&highlight=family
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4661&highlight=family (about USMC but still partially relevant)

Good luck.

 

[phrogdriver]

You don't even have kids yet and you're asking about this? Sorry, but I think you might not have the right attitude going in.

In aviation, you've got two basic choices--being gone frequently for a couple weeks to a couple months at a time, or being gone for 6-7 months a little less often.

Forewarned is forarmed. Later in a career you might score a non-fleet job that stays at home a lot, but your first tour is going to have at least a couple long stretches away. If you're not ready for that, you're not ready for the Navy and Marine Corps.

As for TPS, it's a possibility (and one that's on the board in multiple places), but you'd better worry about getting to the starting line before worrying about the marathon.

 

[bunk22]

You aren't exactly near the point where this would matter. Family friendly? Some communities are more than others but don't think that even a COD tour is going to equal home time all the time. You still deploy but you will at least have the opportunity to talk to your loved ones quite a bit when shore based. There are other tours in a Navy career too, GSA/IA, non-flying boat tours, etc that all aviators have to do as well. BTW, E-2 aviators are gone just as much as their jet counterparts.

BTW, if you make it through and start earning Ensign pay, get yourself a new pair of sunglasses! If that's you in you avatar of course.

 

[scoolbubba]

Cart before the horse, anyone? Wait till you don't get pink sheeted in API, or get most of the way thru primary to start thinking about selection.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Give me a break dude....get to the end of primary first and then see where your grades and needs of the Navy send you. The worst thing you could do right now is get your heart set on a particular platform/community. If I had a quarter for every motivated flight student that I saw get crushed while I was in primary, I would have lunch money right now. Most people "get what they want" out of primary, but often folks change their minds about what that is when they actually start flying, and either realize (1) "Damn, this is hard and my grades suck....I'll have more fun accepting xxx pipeline", or (2) "I hate doing (insert area of flying), and xxx platform would keep me from having to do that". Lots of things to think about, all much further down the road for you.

 

[Uncle Fester]

^ All that. For where you are right now, debating which aircraft is right for you is like trying to decide which one of last year's Playmates you'd rather fuck. Decide all you want, not gonna matter a damn.

I don't know where you got the idea that any community is "more family-friendly" than any other. Whether you're in a BOQ, tent, or das Boat, they all require time away from home. Like Bunk said, best you can hope for is a better internet/phone connection.

 

[schmiddj]

Ok, so it's a little early. . .

BTW, if you make it through and start earning Ensign pay, get yourself a new pair of sunglasses! If that's you in you avatar of course.

Yes, that was me a while ago, and those glasses have long since been lost (maybe a good thing!).

Sounds like the general consensus is that there is no family-friendly platform, which I was expecting . . . I'm lucky to have a lady-friend who is willing to stick it out through deployments but I'd like to make it easier for her in any way I can. I'll be happy as long as I'm flying.

I sincerely appreciate all of the response, even if it's a little early to start worrying about this stuff - especially to Helo_wifey for the forum references. If anyone has more info, I'm still interested. I figure the more I know now, the more informed a decision I can eventually make.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Sounds like the general consensus is that there is no family-friendly platform, which I was expecting . . . I'm lucky to have a lady-friend who is willing to stick it out through deployments but I'd like to make it easier for her in any way I can. I'll be happy as long as I'm flying...I figure the more I know now, the more informed a decision I can eventually make.

Two things:

1. Make sure she knows about workups, too. If you go tailhook, you'll be gone a lot more than just six months out of every 24. I've lost count of how many wives/GF's I've heard say "I knew about deployment, I figured it'd suck, but I could make it through six months. Nobody tells you about how they're gone most of the year before that." And even when you are home, you have a LOT of looooooong days at the squadron - ground job, ULT, bouncing at the field, bouncing for FCLP (Field Carrier Landing Practice), going to the Boat for CQ. Bottom line: sea duty, you're not going to be home much.

2. You may realize this, and I'm just throwing it out there in case you really meant it when you said "informed decision". You don't make a decision on what pipeline you want - you tell the squadron your preference. Sometimes they can give it to you, sometimes they can't, sometimes they just won't. Just don't get the idea that whatever you decide is what will happen.

 

[Jim123]

Two things:

1. Make sure she knows about workups, too... And even when you are home, you have a LOT of looooooong days at the squadron...

But then there is cutting loose on Friday mornings if the week's work got done (can vary between squadrons), Safety Standdown extra long weekends (ie. 4th of July Monday preceded by Safety Standdown Friday or Safety Standdown Wednesday before Thanksgiving), TAD schools that run ~0700~1300-ish...

And if you pull your weight then a good squadron will usually work with you in terms of time off or flexibility for your random family issues.

Lots of give and take and over the years the taxpayers will get their money's worth out of you. Sometimes it will seem like it they're taking it out all at once but the flip side is there are some really nice quality of life benees along the way.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Bottom line: sea duty, you're not going to be home much.

Truth here. Throw in an IA, and you never know what happens. I know someone who potentially could be deployed about 21 months out of 24...

 

[robav8r]

. . . I'm lucky to have a lady-friend who is willing to stick it out through deployments but I'd like to make it easier for her in any way I can.

. . . . . . if so, then reward her (and yourself) by studying hard, working harder and realizing the best damn career anywhere is being a part of Naval Aviation !!! You'll both be much happier in the end !

. . . regardless of the platform you eventually get