Secret squirrel,
I think one of the main reasons why Engineers become pilots is because pilots are treated with much greater prestige.
Being a pilot is deemed as a much more glamorous lifestyle than being an engineer.
However,as an engineer myself, I have no ambitions to take up flying as a profession. I reserve my private time to flying hang gliders which is exhilarating and keeps me happy. Having been in the flight deck of a passenger jet many times I have no doubt that I would find the job a bit too sedentary for my tastes.
