Is it true that airlne pilots cant spend much time with their families ?

yes.Is it true that airlne pilots cant spend much time with their families ?
It depends. The great thing about the airlines is that you have some say in your schedule, in that you bid for a schedule each month, and based on your seniority in the company, you are awarded a schedule. Naturally, the more senior you are, the more likely you are to get a schedule that is generally appealing. If you are #1, you get to pick your schedule uncontested. (Granted that privilege usually goes to the guy that is going to have to retire in a few months.)





The bad thing about that is that your schedule will not be consistent. You may have 15 days off one month, and 5 off the next, especially in your first few years.





It also depends on where you live. If you live where you are based, you will have a lot more time with your family than if you choose to commute. When you commute, you usually need to show up for your trip up to a day early, and then you have travel time back home at the end of your trip. Your 3 day week just turned into a 5 day week, your 4 day into a 6.





My dad was and still is an airline pilot for all of my life, and I am an airline pilot. I never in my life felt like my dad was gone too much, it was just the way it was.





It can definitely take a toll on marriages though, so you need a very, very, very, very, very trusting relationship, and you need to be very, very, very, very, trustworthy. Airline pilots are faced with ';extra-marital temptation'; all the time, and if you give in easily to that sort of thing, then it may not be the best career choise for you.Is it true that airlne pilots cant spend much time with their families ?
This totally depends on the flight schedule of the pilot!





Schedules are bid based on tenure with the airline. The longer their tenure (seniority) the better their pick of schedules. A 3 day on 4 day off schedule flying on T-W-TH can afford a great deal of time at home with family when children are out of school. By the same token, a pilot who works a 4 day on, 3 day off schedule flying F-Sa-Su-M may not see them as much as they are at school, soccer practice or other activities when the pilot parent is home.





At my airline, pilots who fly 4 day trips spend about 300 hours or so away from their base each month. Of that time, about 70-90 hours (on average) is spent flying.





There are also some pilots who fly what are called ';day trips';, meaning they go to work every morning and are then back home again every night.





Additionally, if the pilot commutes to another city by airplane to work every week, that cuts into their time off before and after each trip. They would have to catch a flight to work and that may necessitate leaving a day early if they start work at 6am. They also need to fly home after their trip finishes, so if it is too late there may not be a flight available. I commute by plane to and from my base every week and even an hour flight gets very tiring and cuts into my social life!
As a former flight attendant who had basically the same type of work schedule as the pilots, I am qualified to give you an answer. Although we were gone for a number of days per month, we probably spent more WAKING hours with our children than people who work an 8-5 Mon-Fri job. Between trips, I was off for days at a time and felt that I actually spent more time with my young children than mothers working traditional jobs.
Yes, in many cases that is true... when considering being a pilot, you must realize that you will miss birthdays, anniversaries, and anything else that happens on a day you are flying... its a lifestyle that many wouldnt choose... but those who choose it, love it and would not trade it for anything... Pilots are typically, very smart and charismatic people... they could get a good job somewhere else... but they dont becasue they love to fly and will deal with any negatives that go along with it...