Cuban 8
The reasons I left the RAF were a) that I'd done everything I could in the field I had specialised in (C130 tactical/air refuelling operations), and b) that I had two very young children who would still be in full time education when I was due to retire at age 55, so I needed to find someone to employ me to at least 60. That's easier to do at 40 than 55!!
The 22 years I had in the RAF were fantastic fun. I flew throughout that time, without a ground tour (averaged 35 hours for every month I was in - on everything from the Chipmunk to the Lightning), travelled throughout the world - often where and when the news was being made, flew in situations that would never be possible in civilian life, and had many opportunities, both leisure and work, that I would never have had in any other employment. I ended up as the RAF's C130 display pilot and senior AAR instructor, and was in the process of converting to the C130J as one of the 'core' instructors when I decided to leave.
Don't get me wrong, life at Virgin is excellent. But I wouldn't have missed the RAF for the world!
Does that help?