My current job is great, I fly maybe two or three days a week, am rarely away from home except during the high season. It's fun flying too, for the most part and I feel lucky to be able to do it. I performed a little low level flypast the other day with lots of banking and diving. There aren't many flying jobs around that allow that kind of thing anymore. I sometimes look out the windscreen and marvel at the sights I see, never a day the same, cloudscapes, sunsets and scenery. Every day presents a different challenge and I feel privileged to be sitting there in the high seat.
But there are times when you're up there and all you can think about is going home or what you'll have for dinner. You get tired and the last thing you want to do is fly. I am usually glad when I shut down at the end of the day's work. But that goes for any job. The main flaw with it is the money. It doesn't pay enough nor will it ever pay enough for it to be a permanent job. So I must walk away from it sooner rather than later.
It's the eternal problem. When I was twenty two, it would have been perfect as a starter job, right now with a family and mortgage, it's an expensive luxury. So I must move on, quite possibly out of flying altogether. Newbies, don't PM me for info. I'm not going just yet and in any case you will never get the job. It requires hours and maturity not just flying skills.
The twenty two year old in me is horrified at the idea but the Father and husband has to face reality.
Attitudes change but really being a pilot is something different to the herd and even if we become jaded about it, isn't it better to be a jaded pilot than a jaded accountant, or a jaded factory worker or shop worker.
So young and enthusiastic pilots, the job will pall eventually. That's life. As for those jaded amongst us, well at least it was fun once. Some jobs are never fun, never interesting and never have memorable moments. I know all too well having had a few of those over the years.
I'm enjoying the flying at the moment particularly as I realise that it's unsustainable and will end soon. But everything comes to a natural end. Such is life.