I don't post very often anymore on topics such as this I'm sick and tired of reading about people's woes blaming it all on the industry because they haven't quite reached the dizzy heights they thought they would have when they entered aviation as a pilot. Just to put a little more perspective on things, I work for a UK outfit based where I live and desire to be, I fly both long and short haul, yes three months in summer can be busy but on my current roster I will do 3 short haul trips and a week long haul trip to India earning a vey decent wage in the process for 5 days flying in a month. I do not sit in traffic 5 days a week in rush hour, I take my kids to school almost every day, the only days I don't are when my wife is not working and she wants to take them or I'm working. There are at least 3/4 days in a 7 day week where myself and my wife have the opportunity to go out for lunch and enjoy quality time together, just like we have done today !! Next winter I will put all my winter leave together, 5 weeks of it and probably go to aus on holiday with the family. I have the security of paid schemes such as loss of licence insurance, private health insurance, death in service insurance and a very good company pension £ 1200/ month going in, possibly £1800/month next year and I will probably hit the life time limit of 1,250,000 quite some time before my retirement. The job allows me to do things I really enjoy doing as well ie playing golf, football, buying and selling cars etc. My wife however does sometimes complain that I work less than she does albeit she is only part time working 2 days a week, for a quarter of my pay after tax. So there are jobs like this available in the UK today, yes it is competitive I know but to moan because this hasn't happened to you and to blame it on the "industry" today doesn't wash very well at times. Since I joined my company 250 new pilots now lie below me on the seniority list, why has one of these jobs not become yours ?? I don't know ask yourself ??? I'm not suggesting that my life as a pilot is perfect and i am not writing this with a "look at me, my life is great " attitude. I am fully aware things could change in the future but if you get into the right company you can lead a highly desirable lifestyle in 2014 working as a pilot in the UK, new pilots are joining my company right now !!