Nice.
Agree that we had to each sh!t to get to the majors.
I drove taxi cabs in Northern Europe, night and day, summer and winter to save money for flight school. Got at least 5000 hours doing that. Also sailed in the Merchant Marine, cleaning tanks in the North Sea at winter when I was a teenager. Did that for a few years.
After flight school I went to Alaska and flew bush out of an Eskimo town on the tundra. Had a honey bucket for a toilet.
Did that for a few years. Still no turbine time.
No college.
Clawed my way up and ended up as a 747 Captain before I was 40.
Had it made, then the gig went BK.
Start over again, bottom of AA’s senility list.
Had it made.
Then 9/11 and long furloughs.
On my hands and knees scrubbing teak decks on yachts to pay my property taxes for a year.
Then took a job flying freight for a scumbag operation out of the MIA corrosion corner.
Then recalled after a few years. Then age 65 kicked in
Not complaining, it has been a rush, but to get to a major was not a cakewalk.