I agree with and can relate to the analogies put forward. I consider myself to be more of an independent contractor than an "employee" to/for an airline. I bid on jobs every month and I am awarded the ones that my longevity with the organization will afford me.

Just like any other independent contractor, you don't mean that much to the company who hires you, they just want you to get the job done with as few hiccups as possible. That being said, your own well-being is in your hands. Provide an escape plan for yourself and realize that someday the golden goose may stop laying eggs, at which point you'll have to start at the bottom again.