Very few well paid careers are 9 to 5. Ranging from driving a mine truck for a reasonable wage, to working your way up the corporate ladder, to having a business all require shift work but the difference is mental stress. What once was a well respected career with good compensation for that time away from home, for that expertise in a professional area, for having decision making abilities that hold life’s in your hands, and shift work is arguably no longer an attractive package. Although driving a truck does not have the kudo’s of being a pilot it does pay the bill’s. You can put up with a lot of **** if that bank balance is bounding ahead or you can put up with a subsistence wage if what you’re doing is what you love and bound out of bed every morning for but seldom do these two meet.
I agree with KingRB. I think you have answered your own question. You have had a gutful. If you are hanging on with the idea of a commercial career it is still possible but I think the days of A or b or C scale Cathay are long gone for any airline. When ANSETT went under and pilot’s were doing other jobs the realization, for quite a few, was I am earning more money doing X without the stress. So is it worthwhile following the dream whereby in 5-10 years time I’ll be earning more than I am bricklaying or should I just stick to bricklaying (weekends at home etc).
Anyway PlotPlot your D and best of luck.