Great post BreakfastBurrito. You hit the nail on the head, and many of the reasons why I got out of the industry.
I love flying and was passionate about it, but could see that the industry takes more from you than it gives.
I do a job now that I really like, am I passionate about it, probably not, but passion can be a dangerous thing.
Passion is something that airline management like to take advantage of.
Before spending a lot of money going down this path of flying as a career (Cadetship), find some older guys who have been around at get some
feedback about it. I learnt the hard way, went the GA route, got kicked from pillar to post, and that was 10 +plus years ago.
I think the industry has got nastier since then. PLEASE, PLEASE don't be dazzled by the shiny Jets and the romance of it all.
I never made it to the airlines, GA was enough, but I have friends who went on and now fly jets, and what is the constant thing I hear back from them
now. "At the end of the day it is just a job". You can never get back those special moments with family and loved ones. And mark my words, I have mates
that have put the last 20 yrs into flying at the expense of everything else. These friends find themselves in their 40's, and have no wife, no kids, no one to share
special moments with. I hear you say thank God, no wife, no kids etc, but from what they tell me the shiny Jet doesn't fill the void in their life created by giving everything to Flying.
This post might be too harsh, but something needs to counter balance the carrots that these airlines are now dangling. I also know most you 20 something's
think I am a rambling fool, and can't understand what i am talking about. Unfortunately, not many young pilots learn from the mistakes or experiences of others,
they need to find out for themselves. PLEASE THINK REALLY hard before entering one of these programs, it might just cost you alot more than $$$ at the end of the day.
Whatever you do, just try and keep a balance in your lives, too much of one thing is never a good thing.