Good grief. I think I'm relieved to discover I'm not the only realist around here.
Pilot for some 25 years now, RAF, five different airlines, still love bits of the job but only small bits. Otherwise, I fully endorse everything Spartacan et al have said. Flying is superb. Most airline jobs are awful most of the time. Maybe I've just missed the good ones, but I work for BA now in BACX, and the lifestyle stinks, the money is average, and could be improved upon in several different spheres I could do. Worst of all, as others have said, is the lifestyle. There isn't any, and this has been not much different wherever I have worked post - HM. Sure, there are sparkling moments, a great approach and landing, that surfacing through the clouds into the sunshine bit, the applause from the back after a tricky approach etc etc. Trouble is, these do not make up for missing out on the family growing up, on times that could have been spent with the wife, of Xmas standbys, of days off changed.
If I had my time again, I would probably do the Air Force bit, but not for as long. I would not touch Civil Aviation with my mate's bargepole. Too many people think they want to get into it to anable those already in it to ever pressurise the management into sorting relatively easy problems out and making it an enjoyable job again.
Sorry to be so negative, but tomorrow is the third early........they are not as easy as they were in my twenties.
