I did FJ to Long Haul. I worked on the principle that 14hrs on autopilot with a take-off and landing at each end and some days off beat multi-sector days. Other guys I know take the opposite view. Had I stayed in the mil I would have ended up pushing paper clips around or as the knackered old git in the corner of the crew room who got a cold whenever 'G' was mentioned. When I first started flying the big jets it was all new and interesting, now it can be brain death. I have only encountered one guy with an anti-mil attitude but he is just an arse all the rest, from wherever they come, have been true gents. There are some brilliant pure civvy pilots and some who think they are; just like in the mil.
I enjoy laying over in my favourite cities and whilst I work harder in the airline now than 5 years ago, I still get a better quality of life than I did on a squadron. The fact is that you may not get much satisfaction from operating the aircraft so you might as well go for whichever fits in with your lifestyle needs. Own bed, days off etc.
Folks often quote the 2 buckets theory for leaving the mil. I made my decision to go long haul based on the fact that I used to live to work, now I work to live. The attraction has gone in a pure flying sense, I am now a systems manager but I see more of my family and have more QT which is all I wanted.
