I have a friend who after many years at what I would consider a dream job walked away to take a desk, 9 to 5 and certain retirement. Even I was shocked about that one. I mean this guy had it made from my perspective. When I asked him why he told me that he was a senior FO and since oil and the age 65 thing came along it seemed obvious that he would be stuck as an FO for another decade.

His kids were small and he did not want to miss their upbringing anymore. In addition the 65 to 80K he was making as an FO was easily replaced at his new government job plus he has a real retirement.

My take away is that you are not striving for 300k as a big time jet captain but 60 to 80K as a major airline FO. Odds are that anyone who gets hired at the majors will be stuck in the right seat for possibly an extended time. Therefore the real comparison is with the lifestyle risks and income that a FO gets and not at what a captain makes.

Skyhigh