To Emirates pilots' wives... | ExpatWoman.com
 

To Emirates pilots' wives...

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 June 2011 - 21:18

Hi. We're considering the big move to Dubai. But there are so many pros and cons. Are you happy there? Do you think you've made a right decision? How long has it been and are you still enjoying it? And most importantly - how often do you see your husbands? Thank you in advance. I'm so confused. N.

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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 09 February 2012 - 00:40
YM, please don't read any negativity into my posts. Come, have a good time, enjoy the interview, tour etc. when offered a position jump at company housing and then decide in a year or two if its right for your family. Some love it and some not so much. Dubai is a fun place and having the opportunity to travel and show your kids (if you have) is amazing! I wouldn't change my life and we've been through three airline failures...ha ha ha and no I'm not EK, just live through our cabin crew friends and pilot friends and their families! PS....irooni, my husband turned EK down years ago. I have been through the interview process with him, done the tour, lunch, medical facilities, single housing, family housing etc. EK didn't fit our families lifestyle and having a plan B for us worked out. YM, we are 20 years in and going strong...not a 30 + er but God willing we'll get there! Good luck!! <em>edited by dogcatcher on 09/02/2012</em>
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 09 February 2012 - 00:34
dogcatcher...thank you for your post. I appreciate the info. We are very excited to be coming over - it's cold here in the northern US!! I enjoy reading the posts from everyone ~ I love reading posts from wives who have been with their pilots for 30+ years especially. Being married to a pilot is so different from most of my friends husbands. ~ it is nice to be in a forum with women who know and understand. Thank you!!!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 09 February 2012 - 00:17
Irooni from what I have read dogcatchers posts have been very informative. She was one of the few who has given the newbie pilots wives very valuable information.In fact she has praised EK high hiring standards. What many have been discussing is more the attitude some people adopt when things are not going they way want it to go. @ dogcather your point which resonated with me was everyone has a right to put food on the table and a roof over their families head.Over the years aviation has been a roller coaster ride I tell you.When you get an opportunity you grab it with both hands. To all the new joiners good luck and enjoy the ride,it is what you make of it.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 09 February 2012 - 00:04
Well it surely seemed like slagging off to me! I have misread? Well then my apologies to you.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 23:51
Aaaand what did the rest of my sentence say?..I was thankful to some extent...to some extent! Seriously get your facts straight! Just to add to this, my friends husbands and afew female pilots work their tails off for EK. Most are sick or extremely tired. They complain about rosters and working to hard. Yes, I'm thankful my husband isnt there and he isnt tired and sick like so many of our friends. But what you were trying to quote was that I found some wives to be too busy in their husbands careers and that familiarity was not a good thing. Most of these folks were from the same defunct companies. Is EK a good company? I'm sure it is! Pay is in keeping with the industry, good travel benefits, housing is decent, schooling could be better but decent, healthcare is awesome, good maintenance, well trained staff etc etc.. You bet great company. Working conditions...many find it hard especially when the goal posts are constantly being moved but If you have perceived that I in anyway have put down EK I really didn't, great business model...that much i learned in business school and my aviation college! Ill let the p pruners take care of the slagging of EK. Sorry to offend any wives here,not my intention. Just sticking up for your DEC program and sharing a few stories of my own and of my friends. I kind of thought that's what this was about!! edited by dogcatcher on 09/02/2012 <em>edited by dogcatcher on 09/02/2012</em>
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 23:49
Not once have I put EK down....please calm down! Your first reply read something along the lines of, my husband does not work for EK and you are grateful for that!
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 23:46
Not once have I put EK down....please calm down! In fact I've defended EK and given advice that was well thought out and not negative. Get your facts straight. <em>edited by dogcatcher on 08/02/2012</em>
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 23:45
Funny fish, I have been a pilots wife for 20 years! Many friends of mine were hired as DECs in that last round in 2007. They came from companies that no longer exist and they had heavy jet time on two, three and four engine jets with many many thousands of hours. Ball park 10-15,000 hrs. Saying that DECs are dangerous and that many just feel comfortable now is the craziest thing I've heard, well, one of the crazier things today! I have never ever heard anyone say that...ever! Really, I'm still shaking my head and if this is truth what you say then maybe when I fly EK with my family I'll get my friends to bid those flights because by the sounds of it EK is dangerous but I really do trust my DEC friends with all their hours and experience. <em>edited by dogcatcher on 09/02/2012</em>
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 23:45
I have been sitting on my fingers toooo long. Dogcatcher, EK is a fantastic company to work for. You are on an EK thread slagging off EK staff, families and lifestyle and all along not letting on where your husband works. Neighbours and co workers will only be in your business if you r in theirs!! We live private lives and are thankful for our job and position everyday. Even our children are thankful to EK for their lifestyle, we ake sure they know!
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 23:26
My husband is much the same SueB and I am greatfull. The complaining is rare, he enjoys his job, loves the guys he works with. He'd like to get better vacation but we knew moving here that fair treatment wouldn't always be in our favour. It's hasn't yet and we don't see that changing but it's our choice to be here. I will say however that the comment made earlier about someone's husband and all their friends turning down a DEC job made me laugh out loud! So if your husband was unemployed and trying to save your house and put food on the table he would turn down a DEC job? Ya, why would he want a job, money and stability? I'm pretty sure that's not the case, all pilots would jump at a chance for a left seat with or without the experience! Anyone that says they wouldnt is fooling the person theyre saying it too. This is the industry, people are hired for specific reasons. And as sky skitty has stated EK is upgrading fo's to Captains at a great rate and haven't had to hire DECs for awhile. Was at a DIC party a few years ago and yes the wives were the ones bi tching while the guys bbq'd. I was so thankful we didn't live there and thankful it was a once a year gathering, also thankful to some extent that neither of us were employed by EK. Again no ofense to EK people, this is about a too close for comfort issue! The other thing that doesn't help with the gossip is familiarity. Many of these pilots are from the same companies that either no longer exist or are furloughed pilots. They all know each others business from before and continue to think they know now. It's a small world but aviation is smaller! Chocs kudos to your Dad....thankless and hard job!!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 22:41
Chocs, if you had any idea how many times I told you to eff off back in my crew days :D. Please accept my sincere apologies! Apart from perhaps the time you told me I was going to Karachi on my birthday...
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 22:31
I cannot imagine going to a party where the wives sit around and grip and complain about their husbands jobs. Honeslty, in all the years I have been here, that is the last thing I want to do at a gathering :)....my husband has always talked to me about his job, whats going on and we talk about it, I dont need to bi tch to other woman about it. I would rather talk to someone who actually knows whats going on :). My husband is one of the relaxed guys, has always liked his flying jobs and for the most part not much of a complainer about it, so, guess I am one of lucky ones in that respect :)....go gals, if you feel the need to talk about your husbands jobs at parties, you are going to the wrong parties or hanging with the wrong people :)
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 22:12
Anyone listen to "Cabin Pressure" and find it funny? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lmcxj we have been listening to cabin pressure for years now. Out of curiosity, if you don't mind my asking, are you an airline family with someone at the pointy end? no but we have the podcasts and have listened to it when it started. I love it and am indoctrinating my daughter to love it, too (our male is an aeronautical engineer with no yearnings to be pilot). I think we may be part of a different secret society from the Emirates pilots' wives ;) lol my kids luv it, they howl with laughter.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 22:00
Chocs are you really the voice of Evita??? Lol if only you knew the things we call "her" come the 26th of every month.... lol :) ;)
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:59
Men are from Venus, Women are from Mars.. or something similar. Exactly! Women mostly love to gossip, the men, well.... who knows! lol Prime example..... EW!!! ;) :P
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:50
Oh sweet...rosters....clearly you have suceeded in life! Thank God for eswap! I'm just the voice, nowt to do with rosters. You're so rude, do you know that? My father was Scheduling manager of EK for over a decade! He's a rock star in EK terms and they BEG him to come back every time he visits! He was head hunted back in the day as he was only 1 of a handful of people in the world to do what he does - set up and airline hub! So you can show a bit of respect to those people who do that job, which is not easy having to deal with 13,000 + flight deck and crew and dealing with all the trials and hassles on a daily basis. learly you have zero understanding of how stressful and pressurized some of these other positions are. edited by Chocs01 on 08/02/2012
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:46
Trigg, my comment about rivalry often being from women was based on my personal observations & experience. At most gatherings, ask any of the guys afterwards they will be totally unaware anything was "going on". i.e. will have no idea someone 'blanked' someone else until you mention it... ask the guys themselves more often than not they are happy to talk shop with each other, swap tips & advice and that's it... all the talk of 'so and so should have/should not have got u/g' is mostly (from my observation) on the side of the ladies... When I said some are more interested in lifestyle/family than u/g is what I meant the same as your comment that some just 'enjoy the ride'. I verrrrry rarely have seen men 'get into it' at a gathering about this kind of stuff.... it always seems to be the ladies who are on about it. For example, at one gathering another girl asking me what was 'wrong' with my (at the time) o/h because he hadn't done an uograde.... err, nothing, he was settling into a new town so wanted to wait. Later when I asked him how his night was, he said it was great, they talked about sports the whole time!! Basically, what I mean to say is, majority of the time the DH of the 'nasty ones' has no idea the DW is saying some of the things being said. Again, as I said, this is what I have observed. Obviously, there are exceptions. And just FYI, a good few of them are reading/doing the crossword/updating their manual. I'm sure it wasn't an insult, many of them do stuff like this to keep awake on those long boring night flights, not like us we can walk around and go chat to each other in different cabins, They're pretty much stuck where they are unless they get bunk rest! Men are from Venus, Women are from Mars.. or something similar.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:43
Anyone listen to "Cabin Pressure" and find it funny? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lmcxj we have been listening to cabin pressure for years now. Out of curiosity, if you don't mind my asking, are you an airline family with someone at the pointy end? no but we have the podcasts and have listened to it when it started. I love it and am indoctrinating my daughter to love it, too (our male is an aeronautical engineer with no yearnings to be pilot). I think we may be part of a different secret society from the Emirates pilots' wives ;)
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:40
Trigg, my comment about rivalry often being from women was based on my personal observations & experience. At most gatherings, ask any of the guys afterwards they will be totally unaware anything was "going on". i.e. will have no idea someone 'blanked' someone else until you mention it... ask the guys themselves more often than not they are happy to talk shop with each other, swap tips & advice and that's it... all the talk of 'so and so should have/should not have got u/g' is mostly (from my observation) on the side of the ladies... When I said some are more interested in lifestyle/family than u/g is what I meant the same as your comment that some just 'enjoy the ride'. I verrrrry rarely have seen men 'get into it' at a gathering about this kind of stuff.... it always seems to be the ladies who are on about it. For example, at one gathering another girl asking me what was 'wrong' with my (at the time) o/h because he hadn't done an uograde.... err, nothing, he was settling into a new town so wanted to wait. Later when I asked him how his night was, he said it was great, they talked about sports the whole time!! Basically, what I mean to say is, majority of the time the DH of the 'nasty ones' has no idea the DW is saying some of the things being said. Again, as I said, this is what I have observed. Obviously, there are exceptions. And just FYI, a good few of them are reading/doing the crossword/updating their manual. I'm sure it wasn't an insult, many of them do stuff like this to keep awake on those long boring night flights, not like us we can walk around and go chat to each other in different cabins, They're pretty much stuck where they are unless they get bunk rest!
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:40
Hey Trigg Beach, you can tell your hubby that 'idiot' gives him his rosters! You can also call me EVITA!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:36
@Akia,so true enjoy the ride. Trigg Beach I think in many cases it is what the DH feelings are that trickle down to DW.Can fully understand where you come from, my DH was born to fly it was so much more than a career. edited by Nomad on 08/02/2012 Thanks Nomad....it is lovely to know that you get it. It's not about the climb....I just love being married (for 20 years) to someone who loves his job and is happy to come home...to me! I know too may people whose husbands are under pressure, hate their jobs etc....it doesn't make for a happy household! <em>edited by Trigg Beach on 08/02/2012</em>
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:26
Anyone listen to "Cabin Pressure" and find it funny? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lmcxj we have been listening to cabin pressure for years now. Out of curiosity, if you don't mind my asking, are you an airline family with someone at the pointy end? no but we have the podcasts and have listened to it when it started.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:25
@Akia,so true enjoy the ride. Trigg Beach I think in many cases it is what the DH feelings are that trickle down to DW.Can fully understand where you come from, my DH was born to fly it was so much more than a career. <em>edited by Nomad on 08/02/2012</em>
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:16
Anyone listen to "Cabin Pressure" and find it funny? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lmcxj we have been listening to cabin pressure for years now. Out of curiosity, if you don't mind my asking, are you an airline family with someone at the pointy end?
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:14
"pointy end" in that post meant got upgrade to Captain. Obviously someone else's DH wanted and didn't get an upgrade (or more like, the DW thought he should have got it) and their nose was put out of joint. More often than not it's the DW's not the pilots themselves that are at the cause of the rivalry... most often the men are aware of where they need to work on to be accepted for a promotion, most pilots are at any given point, working towards something else, be it a new type, an upgrade or whatever! Hey Skykitty, I usually love your posts...but not sure of your logic for "more often than not it's DW's.." My DH fits none of the above...and I know several others too.....believe it or not, many pilots just enjoy the ride and the lifestyle and are not interested in anything else...just FYI
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:12
Interesting thread indeed! Well, well EK. Pilots get so carried away with things that are going on. Some issues are upsetting, some are really not! I told my hubby to relax and enjoy the ride. Whatever EK wants to do, they will do it!! He is qualified for an upgrade, but is not getting it as for now. What can he do? Nothing!
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 21:09
Anyone listen to "Cabin Pressure" and find it funny? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lmcxj we have been listening to cabin pressure for years now.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 20:27
Anyone listen to "Cabin Pressure" and find it funny? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lmcxj
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 20:25
Yes Sue 2007 and I seem to remember it was only the 2nd or 3rd time since EK started operations.Hours were extended in 2008 if I re call correctly, and had nothing to do with DEC. As you have alluded pilots with these pre requisites don't fall out of the trees. Believe me,generally it is those who have been in International aviation for 25 + plus years. What got me the most was the pre concieved ideas based on rumors and plain old jealousy. <em>edited by Nomad on 08/02/2012</em>
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 20:16
In reply to Funnyfish: DEC's in EK have not been hired since APPROX 2007 (but will check the sen list). To get hired as a DEC you must already have min 10,000 total time of which at least approx 4000 command in a jet rated 55 tons or greater. FO's hours were extended on EK for whatever reason but it certainly was not for DEC! All DEC's go through the same course as any pilot in EK. If they fail they are gone, . . DEC's are not dangerous and have graduated TO THE EK STANDARD AS ALL PILOTS IN EK DO! NO PREFERENCE..SIMPLE. , With respect to what you wrote...where exactly are you getting your information?????? Hopefully not pprune. 'Even guys who came as DEC the last time EK did this this have said 3/4 years later they only now feel confident on type, with hours under their belts....; (now that is scary.) Honestly, I have been a pilots wife for 35 years and always weigh what I say to make sure what I say is correct. Before you post anything on the internet, you must get your facts straight. <em>edited by SueB on 08/02/2012</em>
 
 

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