Originally Posted by squawkoff

I'm retired ATC. Controllers making $170K plus/year *****ed and moaned about everything. They knew their schedules a year in advance. Were home every night and when they needed time off they got it 99% of the time. They worked in AC in the summer and warmth in the winter. They griped about everything. You would have thought that their life sucked. You know what? It probably did. But it sucked because they chose for it to suck.

The happiest man I knew, my dad, maxed out at $25K/year after working in the same job for 30 years yet his kids were well fed, they lived in a nice house and he drove reliable vehicles. The key here was he didn't spend more than he made. He passed away in 2007 and Mom in 2012. I was shocked when I found out they had almost $250,000 in CD's and anuities. They owned their house outright and had no debt. He looked for the good in everything. My have times have changed.

I do believe that the airlines have taken our love of the profession and exploited it greatly to their advantage.