Sky... I left the aviation at one point because I was disgusted with APA and their utter contempt for Eagle pilots who paid dues to APA. The commute was a real pain in the ass as well.... but did I leave with the intention of making good over that decade or so... not really. Hell the first year I spent more time looking for another flying job...any flying job.... but that was 1994 and they were scarce at the time.

The bottom line is we all my choices in our lives. YOU made the choice to leave and stay out.... and its been a good choice for YOU. Nobody denies that. Just remember your thoughts about the industry are YOURS... your opinions... and while there are certainly things in there that ring true, much of it is YOUR opinion. There are alot of FO's at Legacy's out there knocking down close to 100k a year. We all know thats chump change to you the realestate tycoon but many would argue that that is a fair living and are prepared do so in this profession.

Sucess in life is not measured by how much you money you make. Now that is MY opinion. Frankly my wife and I were just as happy when we were 23 and broke as we are now. And I wouldnt call us wealthy by any stretch of the imagination now. I know plenty of people who live very modestly on very modest incomes who have very full and happy lives. To each their own.

EVERY profession has those who feel the burden is too great.... doctors... lawyers...pilots.... you name it. Find something in life you really enjoy and make it work for you, in short thats what drove me back to aviation... I could be making alot more money in private business .... but even my wife will tell you point blank that I am a much better person flying for my profession than not.

Good Luck to all.