The road to the airlines a long and bumpy road. It's not paved in sugar and candy. I have flown with a lot of senior pilots that have given me their whole life story on how they got to where they are today. I can tell you it's not pretty. However the ends justify the means. Even though its paved in low pay to start, lots of furloughs, and any other obstacles, its well worth it in the end. Those very same pilots i fly with that complain about the road they traveled to get to where they are, are the same pilots that are showing off their huge house on the water with their 30' boats and airplanes in the hanger at the local small airport.