[quote=SkyHigh;392874]No, it isn't all bad. However pointing out the bad is my niche. For you I will try.
Right - a niche - and you play it up to the MAX!

It is easier now than ever before to get a flying job. Pilots have more career options and information is wide spread and easy to get. I remember back to when I was in high school. I had a few friends who fathers were big time airline pilots. They were, rich, respected and home all the time.
Well there was a LITTLE good. Keep it coming..........

I love to fly and when I started sacrifices made in aviation were worth while and could lead to a better life. Over time however I have seen that realization change to the point where pilots hold plumber wages and a slave schedule as their goal. Each new generation is prepared to work harder and for less.

My aim here is to save a few people through brining up the ugly truth of this profession. I am sure that with a military fighter background that you will not have much trouble finding a good job. However If you have 20 or 30 years of professional life ahead of you I would advise taking a strong and hard look into the future.

UAL is full of fighter pilots who could be out on the street if their company caves in this summer. Where will they go then? How will they be able to replace that income and lifestyle? 10 years ago they were the top of the pile. Big names today most likely will be dust tomorrow and there are no fall back positions anymore.
WHoops...fell back into the old SkyHigh. 90%+ of this post is still negative.
Sky - TELL ME A GOOD STORY FROM YOUR PAST! YOU CAN DO IT MAN!

I get the feeling that you would rather not have to think about this stuff but you should.

This is not giving me much credit at all now is it? I have spent a few years before the military flying - planning to go a civilian flying route if the military didn't work out - which at the time after 7 - yes 7 - rejections for COMMISSIONING wasn't looking very promising - but I pressed and didn't let it stop me and in the end it turned out a different way - and I'm glad. Now I've spent nearly 20 years watching a majority of my seniors/peers/ and even a few juniors get out and into the airlines. I've been exposed to some of it for a long time - the goods and the bad.

I want to be a professional pilot. I want to make a living flying. I don't want to be a lawyer or an accountant. YOU assume that I want to work in the 121 world. Maybe I do - and maybe I don't. With a good wage - there are those bunches of opportunities that even you say are out there. So in the end - you are mistaken SkyHigh assuming that I would rather not think about it. Also - being a student of the ariline industry - you should know how cyclic things can be (are) in this industry.

USMCFLYR