john_smith's post is certainly an eye opener, I initially thought it may have been a selfless act to turn the milk sour and let me (and others like me) down easy. Not the case, a quick look through other threads makes for interesting reading.
I've seen plenty of feedback like this on PPRuNe in the past but don't ask me where. I always find this far more insightful than the usual tip bits of information littering the Forums.
saunj11, with respect, it's not a sob story i've posted. I'm far beyond being the author of such having read so many. You're interpretation of what I have asked is either some sort of defensive emotional response based on adolescent angst, or, more likely some sort of avoidance technique you've put in place to channel your energy into positive scenario – something I actually commend you for. You know little about my situation because I have purposely refrained from describing it. Everyone has a story, some moan and some don't. Some dream in colour – some colour their dreams.
My request for discouraging descriptions of the role was to read accurate portrayals of day-to-day lives of commercial pilots (airline or other). There's no doubt that the image I have is currently full of fluffy white clouds, relaxed flightdeck environments with joyous and stimulating banter between myself and the capt. reliving his/her av tales of old. Steadily handling that day's ship through tricky weather or atc to make my 3d or 4th greaser of the day and receiving that all important cracked smirk and wink from the left hand seat when we roll up to the gate. Being picked up at the airport by a proud wife and kids who came early to watch us land only then to answer my son's barrage of plane related questions all the way home in the hope to inspire him, etc., etc... Clearly it's an outdated image (need to update the books I read methinks)
As much as I want all that to be the fuel that drives me, i'm grounded enough to know/believe it's not like that.
Unlike alot of industries there is no such thing as work experience days to be a pilot so it is left to us prodding the appropriate people to get that all important chunk of reality.
redsnail, it sounds like you've got the best of both worlds to me. I've been self-employed, or have worked for only sme's long enough to know that I would hate being another link in a long corporate chain (I have had to clean the lavs for own company in the past). I've largely stayed away from the FTOs so far and will continue to do so, for too cynical to be manipulated like that (or so I like to believe
)