Originally Posted by
SkyHigh
I am in the middle. I miss flying, but remember all to well red-eyes, troublesome captains and crew scheduling. It took nearly five years to not flinch whenever my cell phone rings.
I wish I could go back but now it is way too difficult and demands too much of ones life.
SkyHigh
I think I'm right there with you Sky.
It's been about 2 1/2 years since I got out of it and every time I see a plane fly over (even a bug smasher) I think to myself how much I miss flying. Then I think long and hard about how I felt when I couldn't commute home for a weekend because of cancelations/wx, crappy overnight hotels as opposed to my own bed, missing my family, missed holidays, dealing with the Captain "Chuck Yeager"s of the world, and screw scheduling.
But still even, I miss it. Plus like you said, it is way too difficult and demanding to have to start all over. When I say start over, I mean you have to seriously start over. I’ve already done that bit. I have the time and experience, but without currency requirements they look at me like I'm some 200hr mcwonder - even at the regional level. But I think the biggest thing is putting my family through it all over again from the beginning. At this age you have to have priorities.
I think to have a truly fulfilling aviation career requires youth from the start and not many attachments along the way, but you might find yourself lonely at the end. Just my take on it all. But even thought I miss it, I won't have to die saying to myself what if.