I totally agree with Vito. No matter how good a pilot you maybe, it all comes down to who you know...and no longer what you know. I could be the worse pilot out but as long as i know someone, well...that RHS on the jet is mine. Now for all those who say "I fly for the love of it...freedom of the sky and all that crap!!!"...well...i did as well but then reality hit me and realised that at some point in life, this has to become a job and not a hobby and therefore money does play a part as well. Good for those who have money in the banks, or parents being their supplier of cash, but for some of us, flying has to pay the bills. Mind you, I am extremely passionate about flying, more so then most pilots i have come across. However, seems like passion and skills are not what most employers are looking for nowadays...its whether or not you know someone in the airline you are applying to!!!
I know guys who cant even fly a twin piston properly, however, once they get that "X" amount of hours, they move into the RHS on a jet all because their father or some other relative is in the airline. And these guys are earning more than what a good pilot earns in GA all because the poor sod (GA pilot) just did not have someone to help him get an interview with the major airline. And ofcourse, the poor GA pilot has to put up with the jet pilot who now thinks he is the better pilot because he is on the jet!!!
Some of you here might have had the easy run, thats why you might think that some of us whinge alot and not too sure what the hell we are on about.
Oh..and at the end of the day, it does come down to the money. Those of you already earning decent money will ofcourse disagree with me but thats normal...easier for you to say "its not all about the money" because you already earn it!!