Brian,

I'd try to get the aviation job of your dreams and then go play with whatever your other interest is on the side. It boils down to, "which job is more difficult to obtain?"

Right now, good flying jobs are scarce and in high demand. But, getting leave from a good flying job for up to a year is pretty easy. Or, better yet, sit on reserve, do nothing and get paid from an airline while you are also getting paid from another job.

A lot depends on the flexibility of your employer. If you work for yourself in a small business you can always delegate or reschedule work to make the airline gig come first.