Like many couples, Pete and Cheryl Pitzer (both captains at FedEx Express) met on the job. “We met on long BQN layovers,” explained Cheryl. “We flew two months together then I moved to another aircraft type. From the start it was a long-distance relationship that was helped by the ease of travel, she said. “Pete lived in Memphis, I lived in Dallas; we would visit each other.”
They’d both spent their entire adult lives working for airlines and, as Pete says, “We both knew the drill.” Cheryl spoke to the benefits of that in their relationship. “We bounce experiences and questions about the job off each other,” she says. “It’s huge to have such a great support system.”
To maximize time together, Pete reports, they’ll both bid weeks that aren’t as popular because they know they can hold them. Their biggest adjustment after marriage was more of a style issue. “I had to get used to Pete’s New York style and he had to get used to my west coast style,” Cheryl explains. “We set ground rules early to keep the communication open and mostly not overly emotional.”
To learn more about the sacrifices made, challenges met, and opportunities enjoyed by Pete and Cheryl and five other married pilot couples that spoke to us, read Love is in the Air: When Pilots Marry Pilots.
