I've been a ramp rat, a construction worker building houses in summer heat, phone network installer, ran a mowing company for a few years, owned a small business, worked in factory's and warehouses (once at a has brown processing company), worked as a farm hand, a fast food worker, and so on throughout my life.

I'd find myself always looking up when a plane flew over. Started flying regularly at age 12 and ended up making the decision and commitment to become an airline pilot then. I didn't actually start u til I was 23 and got my first airline job just in time for the 2008 ordeal.

All I can say is, even on it's worst day (layovers, penalty box's, delays, grumpy pax or FA's, mx issues, etc), this "job" is by far the most rewarding and amazing opportunities out there. Sure, we can always make more money or be home more but the views we see, the machines we operate, and the stories we fill our memories with are, for lack of better words, priceless.

When the economy broke in 2008, I spent a long number of years doing odd jobs here and there just to help make ends meet. It got so bad at one point, I was hunting coyotes for livestock farmers making $35 per coyote just to help protect their herds. Every time a plane would fly over, some of them I had flown, my heart just sank a little further because I knew where I belonged but couldn't be there, no matter how bad I wanted it or how hard I tried. Even with my qualifications at the time, the economy just destroyed any chance of me flyi g for anyone.

If you're not passionate about this "job" anymore, leave. Make room the guys/girls that are stuck in the ground that have that desire to be there.

Do not take it for granted. Jobs are complicated but dlyi g is easy and amazing.

Yes! This right here.

Maybe i love it more than i think because I had an almost identical situation to yours subbing out the hunting part for another ****ty job. I used to watch with envy the pilots that still got to fly and it’s what motivated me to get back to flying. I think I’m just disillusioned by everything going on right now.

Amen brother! Many un-enjoyable aspects to this "job" but I remember them for about 3 minutes. I still look up when I see an aircraft overhead and wonder who, where they're going, how fast, etc! Sometimes I even pull up FlightRadar24, What a nerd...but still love it.

Exaclty. I’ve worked in factories, I’ve worked minimum wage food service, office jobs, etc. Flying gives me the best balance between QOL and money that someone with my skill set could hope for. Doesn’t mean I enjoy going to work, but it hasn’t forced me to leave for greener pastures. I’m just not passionate about it. It’s a job.

The part about the skill set and balance is what I’m trying to figure out. What can I do to make the same or more money over the long term as flying? I’m working on it

Oh I agree, continuing to do this job without having a passion for it, but still appreciating the pay/QOL balance is a perfectly legit decision. Most commonly arrived at by having done other jobs, few of which offer a similar balance. BTDT.

I'm talking about those who complain bitterly, despite have a better deal than most of their age-group socio-economic peers.

Flying jobs may pay more than most people could get in anything else especially without a specialized degree. However the QOL part of aviation is a huge negative trade off. Flying especially in the airlines is an entire lifestyle not just a job. I never made it out of the regionals but the whole constant traveling, in and out of hotels and being gone all the time lifestyle was a dealbreaker for me.

I do advise that if you are unhappy leave as early as possible. The longer you wait the older you get and the further away you get from any other type of valuable work experience and education. You will meet resistance trying to move on with nothing but a years long list of flying jobs. Also things like government jobs have maximum age restrictions for entry.

For me it was quite the opposite, the lifestyle was a draw, at least the flexible schedule and time off. The time on the road is the other side of the coin but I had friends at majors so always knew what it would be like once I got there. It is better at most majors. Fewer but longer legs translates to more credit/day so more days off. And easier days at work.

But yeah, if nights away are a problem, it's not a good career.