Wow, having to fly around in a piper to get the time!! I've got to say the laws of supply and demand were strong on that one!
It's crazy to look at how things change year to year... One year someone could have walked onto a company, the next you need a shuttle rating (not necessarily ANA just in general) 10-15 years ago we all (in the US) could have walked onto SWA, now it's like winning a lottery ticket (lottery is a game here in the US that gives you about a 1:10,000,000 chance of winning).
But in the end, it's all worth it. Not a day goes by I remember that working a normal 9-5 is quite boring!!