I don't
 

I don't hate anyone for that. You are not doing yourself any favors and one day will most likely be on public assistance but it is your life I guess. :) (joke)

However, if you have a family I do feel that it is irresponsible.

SkyHigh

I do have a family, a beautiful loving wife and a son. So why am I irresponsible? Do you know my flying background, family, and history? Why am I going to the regionals? Enlighten me and everyone else my story! Please start with my first name and SSN # since you seem to know it!
I do not have lots of money but my family I can get by while I am on 1st year pay.....hence..... "I am poor" by my standard, not welfare standards. Also, I am "Doing what I love" which is flying ......I don't want to work a desk job, deliver mail, boxes, catch wildlife to study, work in a mill, bank, financial institution, or ......you get the picture? I want to fly. This is my next step in life. I live in a small midwest town and will stay living there while fly for a regional, major, cargo, whatever! I pay half of what you do for just about everything in life so regional pay will be "Livable" for my family. Anyone have questions, I would love to answer any you might have? Maybe I am a tool to you but I am a father to my son and my family which is all I really have and want. Don't put people down just because we have different views on life. I am done now....you may go about your business now!

Now I seem to remember a certain skyhigh debating going back to flying just a few days ago.......

I wouldn't want to subject my family to "livable" wages and me being gone all the time just because I want to dick around in the sky. It's selfish.

I second that. You may not be on welfare, but you know you are right above it.

I would say that it is completely irresponsible for a father and husband to take a pay cut to regional starting pay so they can "do what they love" and "live the dream".

yea but it's an investing step for in the long run

It's not investing. Decent money made now is more valuable than good money (maybe) made later.

I disagree....
 

I disagree with some of the comments about putting their family through horrendous "livable wages", but I'm pretty new to the whole regional industry.

The way I look at it is: my friend's wife and kids have to put up with "livable" wages while head of household finishes up medical school and does residency. They don't see it as abuse from their husband, but as her husband progressing in his career to one day be able to financially support his family without having a second income from a full-time mom. Right now they're just getting by. I don't consider my situation much different. From the time I began training to the time I will upgrade at a regional won't be much longer than my friend's journey through a bachelor's degree, medical school, and residency. Both careers have a high earning POTENTIAL. I don't plan on making a career out of a regional job, but I see it as a necessary step in my career progression, which my family willingly supports me in. Is it a sacrifice? Maybe, but in my family's opinion the future benefits outweigh the sacrifice in both cases (my friend in med school and my aviation career).

Each family has different needs and challenges. In now way does my family's decision reflect what "the right thing to do" is for anyone else and their respective family. Just my .02

How much will I be gone from home then? I will have more days off at a regional than I do now.......... work less hours, even with a commute to a base I live by. I will be taking a pay cut for a year, by second year I will make more than I do now and even make up the pay from the first. So if making more money over the next 5 years (at a regional) than what I will make now, spending more time with my family than I currently do makes me irresponsible, then I guess I am.
Would you be a better family man if you:
a). Work at a job you didn't want to even be at?
b). Was happy working at a job you loved?

What kind of person doesn't want to work and live where they have always wanted too. Do you tell your kids they cant grow up to what they want to be? By your standards nobody that has kids or a family should be a pilot. I guess there will be a shortage of pilots because 70% of the workforce just quit! I will go to work, be happy, and do what I can everyday to help raise the state of the regional industry while I am there.

You're living in a fantasy world. There are a lot more hours on the job than those spent flying the plane, not to mention missed birthdays, holidays, several nights in a row spent away, etc...

In that case, you must be making a lot less than $30K now. I'll concede that's not much to walk away from for the sake of an airline career.

Those are the wrong questions. What makes you a good family man is providing for your family, being around regularly, and not risking their future on an unstable career path. Whether or not you love you job has nothing to do with it. It's also naive to think you couldn't possibly find job satisfaction anywhere else.

Yes, that's right. You can't have everything in life. Every choice you make involves sacrificing others. Once you've made the choice to start a family, you give up the choice to become a pilot. It's different if you're established in the career with some seniority and earning power and THEN choose to start a family.

No you won't. With a family to feed, idealism goes out the window. You'll be punching your card for a paycheck just like everyone else.