I think that the reason so many people are disappointed with their careers, flying or otherwise, is that their prior "research" was selective. We all tend to ask successful people about their jobs, and ignore unhappy workers as lazy, unlucky, or whiners; much different from ourselves. By the time we learn what a job is really like, a lot of time and money may already have been invested. Starting over is a daunting prospect, but lots of people have done it. Even with this late start, they will probably appreciate their new career more than those who have never done anything else.