Not to be forgotten is that after all that work, your licence depends on acceptable medicals every 6 or 12 months. Without them, you are back to square 1. Many are the former pilots I've seen over a long career having to forcibly change direction into something completely new and not their desired route. To me the profession has been incredible- I have travelled the world and seen so much, and had the pleasure of flying turboprops up to all 747 models. Priceless memories and incredible pleasure- I was never one to look out of a window at a passing plane without getting 'the feeling', but there are times I think I would have been far better off as a doctor/dentist/banker! Trouble is....I know I would never have been satisfied! The nice thing is it has been a delight to work in an industry crawling, indeed absolutely infested, with without doubt the best totty in any industry with the possible exception of pole dancing.