Thanks to you all for your replies.
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There are a number of issues regarding night freight, as there are with all types of flying. I actually enjoyed it a lot, and DHL were an excellent employer, offering stability in these difficult times. The major issue was a personal one, which I alluded to in the post; the time away from home was considerable - up to seven days at a time. My roster gave me plenty of days off which unfortunately did not make up for the time away in the eyes of my wife who was having to deal with our three boys by herself, with no family close by, whilst I was off flying. Charter flying suited my home life much better; you work hard but come home every day/night, which, even if shattered makes a big difference for the wife, at least she can pop down to Tescos without having to plan a major logistical movement of 3 under fives! I've never done longhaul, but the effect of night freight was the same, lots of time away from home and then a recovery period once you get home. In time I will do longhaul with Britannia, but it's not constant, just several trips in a year which we could cope with.
PP