Well, Colin, IMHO at the end of the day it really is worth it. A lot of people get into this profession for the wrong reasons, and end up being the most miserable people to fly with, on top of giving all of us a bad rep. I'm a first year guy at XJT, and really love my job. Yeah, the pay kinda sucks for now, but in a few months it will get better. What I taught my aspiring airline pilot students was never to stagnate- because that's what makes it unbearable. Always have a "next step" to look forward to and plan for. From being a lowly regional FO, the next step is CA, then the majors, then CA at the majors, then other AC types. That's what makes flying fun for me.

All in all, it may not be the best paying job in the world, but it's up to us to change that. The profession's been in a downward slide for a while now, but only we can bring back wages commensurate with our responsibilites. You gotta remember- we've got a 50 million dollar machine in our hands, and countless lives in the back. Alot of airline CEOs tend to forget that, while they're counting their $550,000 dollar paychecks.

I've been on the other side, at a $hithole airline, and know it can suck bad- so when you decide to apply to the airlines, choose carefully. Don't get SJS, and pick quality of life over low hiring minimums. Trust me, it will make you SOO much happier in the long run.

Other than that, who else can say their office has a view from 36,000 feet?

Take care and fly safe- PM me if ya got any questions!!