40 years in the chair.
Loved every minute but was absolutely terrified for a few of the seconds.
Could have earned more money as a bus driver but never ever considered that option even though I have the licence for that as well.
Money isn't everything. If it's money you want, just get born into a privileged family. I'd rather be me than Gina Swineheart. Be a rock superstar, be a famous movie celebrity in Hollywood, smoke some d!ck and be colossally famous. Be Rupert Murdoch, be a Wall Street financier, rip off some pensioner for roof insulation, work FIFO in a mine in some god forsaken corner of WA, whatever. Get out and be happy, not a bitter twisted ex pilot, or never been pilot like some commenting here.
Stop whining and get out of a professional pilots forum, you are no longer a professional pilot. Leave the rest of us who actually enjoy it alone.
BTW I have Always been paid for a paying job, stuck to my professional guns and refused to do a half arsed job for a cheap price. If I chose to waive a payment it was to give someone a leg up( usually for personal instruction), not to sleaze my way into a job.
My old dad said there are only two types of job, ones that pay so much you don't care what the work is, or jobs that you enjoy so much the money isn't the critical factor..
I been lucky, my job in GA has taken me all round the world and the rewards are more than the money. The more committed I was the luckier I became.
If you think you are worth more money, ask for more money. If some scum sucking scab wants your job bad enough to work for nothing you are working for the wrong people. Move on, find another operator, show them how good you are and get paid for it. Not very one pays peanuts and expects monkeys.
Commmercial =money! get your share of it, but provide the service.
IR rating renewal tomorrow. Same butterflies as always, then booked to fly most days for next two weeks, then my first rec leave for 12 months, two whole weeks to work on my home built project then back to work and fly fly fly.
Can't take a joke? shouldn't have joined. More work for the rest of us.
HD