Worth being a pilot at any price?
Hi all,
I had the dream to become a commercial pilot since I was in my teens. For various reason this didn't happen until I passed 40. I have gone a long way to finally gain my CPL/IR+ME+MCC+ATPL Frozen and also payed for a T/R on a regional turboprop. All this while working full time and also having a family! Having paid for it all myself I spent what is nowadays considered a normal "investment" to be given the chance of landing a position in the RHS of an airliner. I choose the turboprop rating because I judged it as the easier way to get a first job at an airline being a fresh CPL with only 400+ hours.
Indeed, I have been offered a chance at a European regional operator. I have completed the line training and is now offered a full time position as a F/O. I now started reconsidering if it's worth it or not. I have another profession in which I have been active for more than a decade and I make more money per month than a Captain with 5 years in the LHS within this company. I always had the dream to become a pilot but I'm starting to forget why. Flying regional routes is stressful and with 20 minutes turnaround between flights you don't even get the chance to leave your seat until after at least four legs. (Just imagine not even being able to visit the loo in that time.) The pay for the F/O is ridiculously low and not much more than the cabin crew makes. But the worst of it all is the many nights spent in hotel rooms away from your life partner and kids. On average, you spend 17 nights away from home per 4 weeks. That's the typical roster.
Forgive me for being blue-eyed, but I wasn't really aware that being a commercial pilot is all about not having a family life, not making a good salary, not being able to have a social life, not being able to be there at holidays and family events. The rosters are based on checking in at one of the company's remote airports and flying into the major airport. Not fully understanding all the details, but I understand that Subpart Q is a limiting factor if crew would be allowed more often to spend the night at the major airport (which happens to be close to where I live).
The thing is I am now feeling kind of disillusioned of this job. I mean, the job in itself is rewarding, fun and exciting, but the difficulties in having a balanced existence which allows for at least some minimum level of family and social life really make me think twice if I should continue following this road or not. I kindly asked the company about the possibilities to work part time but that was not of any interest to them.
I would appreciate any thoughts on this. What do you guys think? How do you value a flying job against the things I mentioned?
Thanks and have a good day! :