stu666,
that's ok, you've asserted that you are not from the industry so looking at it from an outsiders viewpoint.
Indeed, you wouldnt be expected to *know* the hard facts unless you ask, so ask away, there's a lot of people here that would be more than happy to share the realities of the industry from the inside.
Another point to consider is the actual manner in which the job actually has effect on the personal life of the pilot and his family.
Simply, a pilot rarely wakes every day, leaves home at 0805, to turn up at work at 0900, takes lunch at 1300 to 1400 and leaves work at 1700, and back home at 1815, dinner with the wife tuck the kiddines into bed and off at the weekends...
The working environment for a pilot is very demanding not only *in* the job, but also on the personal and family life.