After reading all this I have to wonder why ANYONE would pick this job. Do you all really love flying THAT much? I have recently come to terms with the fact that I do not. The sacrifices don't seem worth the 'ultimate' payoff of flying for the majors, which isn't even a sure thing: ridiculously low pay for the first few (or more) years, being away from family for half the month, sitting in a cockpit monitoring systems for hours on end, worrying about furloughs, not being able to switch companies and keep your status, pay cuts, etc, etc

With that said, I do love flying, but I'm talking about taking up family and friends in an Arrow for a short day trip to somewhere fun. The majority of posters here make it seem like a horrible career, but justify it with their "love of flying."