Can I fly and have a child?

I never googled this but I now know that for some people this is a big issue. Can I be in aviation (pilot or flight attendant) and have a child? The answer is Yes you can. BUT!

You sure can have a child but it isn’t easy, let me explain why. In my case, I work +-18 days a month away from home. That means I only have contact with the homefront on the phone or with apps like skype and facetime. I don’t see my child these days when I’m away. That also means that you need a babysitter or your boy/girlfriend needs to be home for the child.

I am one of the lucky once who have parents that can do babysitting in the weeks when I’m away. When I’m home I spend all my time with my child. If you work for an airline you might have some difficulties to arrange this.

My personal biggest problem was my first duty after my fiancee gave birth to my daughter. I knew I would go for 2 weeks. I went on duty and flew to Dublin, went to my room, and cried the whole evening (Yes, I’m an emotional guy). I was feeling so bad to leave them home.

If you think about having a baby you will see a lot of rocks on the road that keeps you from getting one but in the end, you will find a way to deal with them. In my opinion, having a child is the best thing ever happened to me. My daughter is now 8.5 months old and I was even luckier due to corona to spend even more time with her in the first few months. The child is raised not knowing any different. Her/his father or mother is away from home, it is not such a problem.