To go or not to go?
Greetings Captain Kirk,
You've obviously thought long and hard about this, so I would advise you to PVR a.s.a.p.and get on with the rest of your life.
The longer you leave it , the harder it will be.
On balance, the pros will far outweigh the cons, and you will have far more control over your lifestyle.
Just remember 3 Golden Rules:
1. Don't look back.
2. Don't go back (you'll soon become the embarassing old f**t at happy hour that nobody quite remembers)
3. When you get to an airline, never start a sentence with the words "When I was in the Air Force we used to........"
I made the switch over 30 years ago, and have had no regrets.
I've had happy, successful and very lucrative careers in several airlines both
in the UK and abroad, but even after all these years, still think of myself as very much "Ex Airforce", rather than "Ex" any of the other companies I have worked for since.
Best of luck,
Tommy