What a lot of negative comments from people! I've been flying helicopters for 37 years now and every day when I get up I think what a great time I've had and am still having. It's not a job, it's fun. I went the military route which was great for teaching self-reliance and variety. I also worked in the North Sea and was fortunate that my employer had overseas contracts so I could try other countries and types of flying. The money has never been great, but it's always been enough and I've always paid into a personal pension which hopefully will support my retirement. If I've become bored or disillusioned with what I'm doing for more than a month or two (hey, no job's utterly perfect!), then I've looked around for something else and usually taken a pay cut to go and try it. Where I'm now working it's with a great bunch of guys, with a lot of Ozzies and Kiwis who have a very positive approach to what they're doing and like it a great deal. I still love flying helicopters and hope to go on doing so professionally until well into my 60's. Every day I wake up, am grateful for all the fun and travel I've had from my job and hope I'll continue to do so until the day I'm forced to retire