Your question was - "what would you do ?"
Well, I'd devise sufficiency tests for my personal rewards, with a criteria that made sense to me, whoever I am.
So, whether you are distracted by the non flying money or just don't want anything else in flying other than an airline job; maybe answer a few questions:
Have you ever said or heard someone say about what they are doing at the time: "I/(we) am going to live this way forever - this is all I ever want to do and I want nothing to change" ?
You are obviously not in that situation but can you imagine how lucky someone would be to be able to say that about the way they live.
So, when could you say that above, about yourself: ?
In an airline job and sitting at the head of the 5* hotel resturant table with all your crew and a big feed ?
Blowing away Chinese fighters 200' AGL over Bejing in an F22 (yeah if you were a Spam...) ?
Doing fiveteen hour days working in IT or real estate making half a mil a year, living over the beach with four cars in the garage and tarts everywhere?
Being a Bhuddist monk ?
Nothing that really comes to mind ?
If its the last choice above, and if the concept in the first question is alien to you, then maybe all you were ever going to do anyway was amble along and just have a good time and pay the bills, and in the end be happy doing just that. A lot of people are, and good luck to them.
Have you ever said, or heard someone say "I am the best at what I do; I strive to constantly demonstrate that; and everyone knows that I am (well, without too much conceit here.. <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> "
If that does not appeal to you, or also is alien to you, then perhaps you don't really want anything more than a good time. Again, a lot of people do and good luck to them.
Since you aren't happy in GA, perhaps there
is something else for you, but would you feel the same about
that also in a few years time ?
Really, what was it about Qantas -
if the QF knockback has demotivated you then ask yourself is that because you thought that your personal identity would be incomplete forever unless you are wearing a Qantas uniform, and if so, why/when ? Ie., were you thinking about this stuff before QF said NO, or was their knockback the trigger for this ?
Are you trying to do something or be something ? For either, GA does not seem to be the answer. Would Cathay do instead of QF ?
I think what Chimbu Chuck might have been saying was - if you are thinking about this stuff in the air, then stop, because your mind is not on the job.
The Pilot Psychology is based on being hell-bent on escape from the surface of the Earth; the key word being "escape", with "why, fear of....what.. (question mark)" in small italics somewhere nearby.
Do you really want to escape, or is it OK or maybe even appealing at times down there ?
Regards Rene (cough)
<a href="http://www.insider_trading_is_a_bitch.com.au" target="_blank">www.insider_trading_is_a_bitch.com.au</a>
[ 14 January 2002: Message edited by: Rene Rivkin ]</p>