Newbie saying hello

Michaela · 12-12-2007, 09:53 AM

Hi girls!! I wanted to say hello and introduce myself. My name is Michaela, I'm 31 and I've been married to Todd for 10 years. We have a son, Will, who is turning 2 tomorrow. Todd is a KC-135 pilot for the Tennessee Air National Guard and I am a stay at home mom.

Todd was hired 18 months ago by PSA. He ended up pushing back his training dates due to Guard duty and then ended up taking a regular office job for more money. He's unhappy not flying for a living (well, he still flies 2x per week with the Guard) and wants to call PSA and get new training dates.

So technically, I am not a commerical pilot's wife, yet. But it's looking that way and I am a pilot's wife either way. (I had to put info in my profile to register, so I put what will likely be true shortly)

I'm just looking for support in this transition to being a commerical pilot's wife and adjusting to the lack of schedule and lack of pay (we're looking at a $30,000 paycut when he leaves his employer to go back to PSA). The good news is PSA's most Jr. base right now is McGhee Tyson, so at least Todd will be based at home, here in Knoxville, TN.

Kristie · 12-12-2007, 10:48 AM

Welcome Michaela!

National guard is a great 2nd/side job... how often does he have to go on duty with that (just always wondered)? have they tried sending him overseas?

So is he currently working for PSA in his office job or is that something different?

Either way, you're a pilot wife and you already know some of the rigamarolls we all go thru...besides the lack of good schedule for a while.. probably the only thing you might have trouble adjusting to is just not having him around as often as you're used to...

Is there a part time job or at home job you could do to help with the lack of pay situation?

Michaela · 12-12-2007, 11:11 AM

Hey Kristie!

We love being a Guard family. He was active duty Air Force before transferring to the Guard. He usually flies 2 nights per week and then has duty 1 weekend a month. He goes on 2-3 overseas trips a year. His regular employer (an automotive parts manufacturer) is very understanding of his Guard duty and gives him military leave whenever he needs it.

He's already gone a lot during the week. The only difference is that he sleeps at home, even though we never see him. LOL I joke that he's like a thief in the night. I wake up and his side of the bed is slept in, but I never saw him. That's 2, sometimes 3 nights a week.

I'm looking into part-time and work from home options to earn some money - even if it's only a couple hundred dollars a month. It's hard with his schedule, though. He'll work a lot of weekdays at the Guard base when he's not flying for the airline (if he indeed does go back to PSA), so there may only be 1 day a week he'd be home during the day that I could work somewhere. We don't have any family in town to keep our son while I work, so it's tough.

AndysGRL · 12-12-2007, 02:06 PM

Welcome! I'm pretty new myself but i have already found this site to be so helpful. My fiance just got hired by PSA and he starts training in January. I have been with him since he started his flight training so i'm familiar with general aviation type of lifestyle. I'm sure it will be different when he starts the airline job. I'm up for the challenge though because i know it is his dream job.

Amanda · 12-12-2007, 07:05 PM

Hello and welcome! This is a great place for support.
Post away and enjoy!

pilotwife38 · 12-13-2007, 03:54 PM

Welcome Michaela!

My dh just retired from the Reserves and he flys for SWA out of Baltimore.
My family lives in TN and we reside near Atlanta. I am excited for your dh and I understand the pay cut. Dh is just now catching up to his previous Netjets pay.

I hope you can find a job that meets all your needs. Stick around!

Tonya

kimlantse · 12-13-2007, 11:51 PM

Hello Michaela!

Kristie · 12-14-2007, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michaela

Hey Kristie!

We love being a Guard family. He was active duty Air Force before transferring to the Guard. He usually flies 2 nights per week and then has duty 1 weekend a month. He goes on 2-3 overseas trips a year. His regular employer (an automotive parts manufacturer) is very understanding of his Guard duty and gives him military leave whenever he needs it.

He's already gone a lot during the week. The only difference is that he sleeps at home, even though we never see him. LOL I joke that he's like a thief in the night. I wake up and his side of the bed is slept in, but I never saw him. That's 2, sometimes 3 nights a week.

I'm looking into part-time and work from home options to earn some money - even if it's only a couple hundred dollars a month. It's hard with his schedule, though. He'll work a lot of weekdays at the Guard base when he's not flying for the airline (if he indeed does go back to PSA), so there may only be 1 day a week he'd be home during the day that I could work somewhere. We don't have any family in town to keep our son while I work, so it's tough.

WOW... that sounds like a pretty tough situation! I'm not sure i could deal with the "he's been here but already gone" thing...i think i'd just rather have him gone for days than home/gone without seeing him.

Glad to hear his employer is understanding!! that really makes things more pleasant!

so what kind of work did you do before little Will came along?! even if you did do a part time job, the daycare cost itself would probably eat up your profits...so if you can find a way to do what you did before, at home, then at least you could bring in that few hundred bucks and lower that monetary pressure a bit. it does make it more difficult when you don't have anyone you can count on to help you out...but sometimes i like to think that anything helps. heck, i have an aunt who did rebating/couponing every month and through rebating, using coupons and her garage sales, she'd make over $1000...granted, you can have a garage sale every month but just her rebates/coupon usage itself would bring in or save a few hundred bucks. eh, just ideas

ccbegay · 12-17-2007, 10:42 AM

HI great to have you here...I'm over in CLT...bf just started flying for American Eagle...
Cassie

katbuad · 12-17-2007, 10:44 PM

Yeah!! Another Tennessean. I am in Nashville. Grew up in Etowah though, so no stranger to the streets of Knoxville or Chattanooga. Welcome aboard, take your coat off, pull up a chair. Enjoy!

12-12-2007, 09:53 AM	#1 (permalink)
Michaela New Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 2 Recipes: Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Newbie saying hello Hi girls!! I wanted to say hello and introduce myself. My name is Michaela, I'm 31 and I've been married to Todd for 10 years. We have a son, Will, who is turning 2 tomorrow. Todd is a KC-135 pilot for the Tennessee Air National Guard and I am a stay at home mom. Todd was hired 18 months ago by PSA. He ended up pushing back his training dates due to Guard duty and then ended up taking a regular office job for more money. He's unhappy not flying for a living (well, he still flies 2x per week with the Guard) and wants to call PSA and get new training dates. So technically, I am not a commerical pilot's wife, yet. But it's looking that way and I am a pilot's wife either way. (I had to put info in my profile to register, so I put what will likely be true shortly) I'm just looking for support in this transition to being a commerical pilot's wife and adjusting to the lack of schedule and lack of pay (we're looking at a $30,000 paycut when he leaves his employer to go back to PSA). The good news is PSA's most Jr. base right now is McGhee Tyson, so at least Todd will be based at home, here in Knoxville, TN.

12-12-2007, 10:48 AM	#2 (permalink)
Kristie Admin/Owner Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Scottsdale, Arizona Posts: 6,653 Recipes: Thanks: 7 Thanked 17 Times in 17 Posts	Re: Newbie saying hello Welcome Michaela! National guard is a great 2nd/side job... how often does he have to go on duty with that (just always wondered)? have they tried sending him overseas? So is he currently working for PSA in his office job or is that something different? Either way, you're a pilot wife and you already know some of the rigamarolls we all go thru...besides the lack of good schedule for a while.. probably the only thing you might have trouble adjusting to is just not having him around as often as you're used to... Is there a part time job or at home job you could do to help with the lack of pay situation? __________________ www.jetcareers.com

12-12-2007, 11:11 AM	#3 (permalink)
Michaela New Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 2 Recipes: Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Newbie saying hello Hey Kristie! We love being a Guard family. He was active duty Air Force before transferring to the Guard. He usually flies 2 nights per week and then has duty 1 weekend a month. He goes on 2-3 overseas trips a year. His regular employer (an automotive parts manufacturer) is very understanding of his Guard duty and gives him military leave whenever he needs it. He's already gone a lot during the week. The only difference is that he sleeps at home, even though we never see him. LOL I joke that he's like a thief in the night. I wake up and his side of the bed is slept in, but I never saw him. That's 2, sometimes 3 nights a week. I'm looking into part-time and work from home options to earn some money - even if it's only a couple hundred dollars a month. It's hard with his schedule, though. He'll work a lot of weekdays at the Guard base when he's not flying for the airline (if he indeed does go back to PSA), so there may only be 1 day a week he'd be home during the day that I could work somewhere. We don't have any family in town to keep our son while I work, so it's tough.

12-12-2007, 02:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
AndysGRL Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 6 Recipes: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Newbie saying hello Welcome! I'm pretty new myself but i have already found this site to be so helpful. My fiance just got hired by PSA and he starts training in January. I have been with him since he started his flight training so i'm familiar with general aviation type of lifestyle. I'm sure it will be different when he starts the airline job. I'm up for the challenge though because i know it is his dream job.

12-12-2007, 07:05 PM	#5 (permalink)
Amanda Jetgirls Plus Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PHL suburbs Posts: 2,154 Recipes: Thanks: 12 Thanked 11 Times in 11 Posts	Re: Newbie saying hello Hello and welcome! This is a great place for support. Post away and enjoy! __________________ Amanda Loving wife of Nick, an Int'l FO for Continental flying the 757/767 based in EWR!

12-13-2007, 03:54 PM	#6 (permalink)
pilotwife38 Jetgirls Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: GA Posts: 101 Recipes: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Newbie saying hello Welcome Michaela! My dh just retired from the Reserves and he flys for SWA out of Baltimore. My family lives in TN and we reside near Atlanta. I am excited for your dh and I understand the pay cut. Dh is just now catching up to his previous Netjets pay. I hope you can find a job that meets all your needs. Stick around! Tonya

12-13-2007, 11:51 PM	#7 (permalink)
kimlantse Jetgirls Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 116 Recipes: Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Newbie saying hello Hello Michaela! __________________ Kim - wife to Tom (Cathay Pacific S/O B747-400) Kim's Facebook

12-17-2007, 10:42 AM	#9 (permalink)
ccbegay Jetgirls Ol' School Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Concord, NC Posts: 1,660 Recipes: Thanks: 5 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Newbie saying hello HI great to have you here...I'm over in CLT...bf just started flying for American Eagle... Cassie __________________ <-------Halloween fun for LadyBug Kenzie... ~Great Love and Great Achievements involves Great Risks~ CASSIE

12-17-2007, 10:44 PM	#10 (permalink)
katbuad Jetgirls Plus Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Nashville, TN USA Posts: 697 Recipes: Thanks: 9 Thanked 13 Times in 13 Posts	Re: Newbie saying hello Yeah!! Another Tennessean. I am in Nashville. Grew up in Etowah though, so no stranger to the streets of Knoxville or Chattanooga. Welcome aboard, take your coat off, pull up a chair. Enjoy!

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