Goonybird,
The assumptions I made concerning your background were reasonable given the incorrect information you were giving out.
So if you went on a base ASAP why do you complain about not seeing your kids grow up? Did you live at your base? Did you not have 15-18 days off a month? If you can't stand being away then why don't you get an office job? Being away is the nature of our career.
Stimulating? Nothing about airline flying is stimulating to me. I haven't been stimulated with flying since I left the military. But, it is a great job and one that allows me to enjoy life with my family.
Financially speaking, sure you can use the housing allowance to maximize your net worth but just speaking on salary alone...starting salary is twice that of AC and after several years the gap narrows to almost a similar salary if your "B" scale so the lost salary at the start is never made up. Also, with AC you were paying 45-55% taxes on that salary versus 8-12% in HK with family discounts.
Defined Benefit Pension? It could have been gone with the recent CCAA but they scraped through retaining it this time. Would you really like to plan your retirement based on a theoretical pension? It's not secure and could be lost at any time.
Lastly, if you don't enjoy your work/life then change it. Life is too short to be miserable everyday. Make a career change and learn to enjoy that change or make some simple changes within the company and learn to enjoy life.
tamalai,
Why do you have such a problem with Canadians? I'm convinced your a Brit aren't you? Or an Australian/Brit want to be maybe?
The real reason is because Canadians don't take crap and you don't like that. The crap I see SOME Brits dish out is just incredable. They and probably you have a real problem. Anti-social with others? Only have fun with your pip-pip friends? One of those that talks big but can't fly your way out of a wet paper bag when things go for sh**? Yup seen it before. So, are you one of those aces?
