@ra4000
Everyone loves flying which is why most of us became pilots
But at the end of the day you are not flying 24/7 and you will need to come back home .
When you reach back home you need money to pay the bills , put decent food on the table , pay the rent / mortgage
Flying an airplane alone is not going to solve all the above problems where money is involved unless you have income from other sources
If you are married and have kids your expenses will be much higher and if you dont have a happy home you will never have a happy life irrespective of your love of flying
All the time you spend flying you will be worrying about what you do when you get back home especially if you are living paycheck to paycheck like a US regional pilot
Your responsibilities as a pilot are no less important whether you fly for a regional or a major .
Being eligible for food stamps just shows how poorly paid they are and love of flying is the only reason why most are even able to tolerate such terms and conditions
Even sportstars / film actors / doctors get paid their worth and none of them do it for poor wages even though they all love their jobs as well and probably cant imagine doing something else during their lifetimes
Aviation is a potent drug that is very difficult to get out of irrespective of whether you are pilot , flight attendant , engineer or an investor who wants to burn millions of dollars in a new airline
That addiction to flying is the only reason why pilots still fly for a Regional US Airline