Blast? No. It is hot, dirty, and boring (at 500 feet, all t*ts look the same). But in 1997, it was $9 per hour, 40-50 hours per week (about $1600 per month... when most regionals were paying around $1200).

And freight? Hunched over in the back of a Caravan in 98 degree weather, throwing 3000 pounds of boxes.... sweating so much that when it dries, a black shirt will have zebra stripes from all the salt...

Or instructing? Eight hours of pattern work in Florida during the summer... Eight hours times eight landings per hour equals 64 landings per day.

Yeah, they were all crappy jobs, and yes, if I could have made the jump into the right seat of a Brazillia with 250 hours, I would have. But today when I hear my coworkers say, "You just wait until summer! It sure gets hot in those Saabs!" I just nod and smile.