guntop88
Aviation is a funny thing. As many posters have said above, it gets into your blood and makes you take some really odd decisions based upon the idea that "I've got to do this, whatever the cost/consequences".
I gave up a good job to follow the dream, and can honestly say I love the flying to bits. This helps me cope with the not so nice bits of aviation, such as increasingly hostile and aggressive management styles, rostering by computer, and occasionally that horrible tired feeling that you can only really get after six days of max hours, min rest, a run of earlies to lates in awful weather....., oh and yes, the insecurity that pervades aviation and so many other industries these days.
After being made redundant for the the second time in six years, I'm back flying turboprops after time on shiny jets, and it's hard. Truly awful pay (in relation to the cost of getting qualified, if not compared to average wages in the UK - although it's still below that) and long spells of time away from home and family don't necessarily make for a contented life. But it's also fun - no Cat 3's I'm afraid, but the joy of catching the lights at minima on a Cat 2, squeeking in on minima after a well flown NDB, a hand flown visual that gets you to just where you want to be as you turn finals, or even a nice landing on a blustery day, I could go on and on....
But what should you do?
Ask yourself why you wanted to be a pilot in the first place. There are plenty of valid motivations to do so, but yours may no longer outweigh the negatives of being a commercial pilot in 2009.
Also, I think you need to sit down with your wife and see how she feels about the whole thing - it's not just the being apart, but how will she manage being a single parent for over half the month, are you going to have to reduce your standard of living as a family, cut holidays and stuff. Is she comfortable with you being away and surrounded by female cabin crew? If she's not 100% behind what you are doing, you will find it doubly difficult - and aviation isn't the best profession for low divorce rates anyway.
As far as the operator goes, this will be a stepping stone. The experience you get on turboprops will be valuable when you want to move on and will build your hours so that when the upturn comes you will have commercial time in your logbook and maybe even command time. So your next job should be better paid and with a better roster. If you go down the FI route or even just do minimum hours to keep your IR current, you gamble that when the upturn happens, you are looking at the same job as you are now.
You have to decide as a family whether you all want and are happy to endure the short term pain for the possible long term gain. Go into this with your eyes open and ask yourselves how you would feel/cope if you take the job, and the worst case scenario happens. E.g. The market doesn't pick up quickly, and in two/three years time you are still stuck in the RHS of that turboprop, away from home 17 nights a month. OK it's unlikely but if you can cope with that......
Otherwise, stay put, carry on doing what you are doing and fly for fun. You can always have another look in a couple of years, things may be completely different.
If only I had a crystal ball
By the way, congratulations for having the courage to re-examine whether you are doing the right thing. So many people I know have just ploughed on regardless, not wanting to admit they may have got it wrong and end up thoroughly unhappy.
Happy flying and good luck
oap