Originally Posted by
737pnf
Tangoyankee777
Unless being a long haul pilot is what you truly want, as others have commented, don't get too focussed on glossy brochures featuring jets. Keep an open mind. My flying school never had models or posters of a Dash 8 for example but rather always of China Southern A330s, Emirates 777s and Qantas A380s. You can have a brilliant career in the other sectors too. Become an instructor in GA and work your way up to be your own boss as a testing officer, deciding the days you work and the days you have off and flying a broad fleet from the smallest piston twins to Conquests and King Airs, maybe even very light jets with synthetic vision in the future. Work for the flying doctors and be home most nights. Same same for regionals, in a close knit team of 3 or 4 (Captain, FO and Flight attendant/s), where you're hand flying the aircraft more, and manoeuvring around weather build ups, or outside controlled airspace where you're making your own decisions about aircraft safe tracking and efficiency, where you're farewelling and greeting passengers individually. Don't listen to people who say "props are for boats" or get sucked into "do you only fly domestic?" or "when are you going to fly the big ones?" as if you haven't made it until you do sit on your backside for 15hrs at a time, monitoring screen with minimal input and spending time away from friends and family. Do what's right for you. For your aviation aspirations, and more importantly, your lifestyle - what you want from life outside of work.
You can make a successful career for yourself as a pilot operating an aircraft that isn't propelled by fans...