I've been in the industry for decades now, progressed very quickly (lucky).
But I will say this - it's not the same as what I thought it would be. It's not as good as what I dreamt of as a child.
Sadly, pretty much every day a small piece of me wishes I chose the alternative career.
Sure, life could be a lot worse. Just not 100% fulfilled. Is anybody?
Senior Cathay Pacific captains still fight against the degradation of their T&C's.... Hell, Qantas pilots were locked out of work recently. Jetstar?
don't even go there.
Reg Ansett ran an airline the way all pilots LOVED. A gazzillion different aircraft types (progression)... Awesome crew meals.... Barely flying 30 hours a month; I remember some pilots found it hard to remain current! The money was truly unreal! BUT! This is when fuel cost was a little less than a p!ss in the ocean, airfares were sky high, with a huge proportion of travelers in business class, and general operating costs were lower.
My advice? Earn your money elsewhere. Fly for fun; you'll never get rid of the bug, no matter how hard you try!
