Honestly... Do any airline pilot's (including senior pilots) love their jobs anymore? Do they hate the flying, or the managment and politics? Is there anyone left who has flown the airlines for years who is still enthused by aviation?

honestly...

yes......................

Ask this guy.....

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1188...left_column_hs

In my 21st year. Absolutely. When I don't anymore, I will get out.

In my 20th year at a major airline...and no...I don't love flying large airplanes anymore...but get me in a 4,000 lb airplane, and it's love at first sight again. Airline flying is a paycheck, don't confuse that with flying

After a couple thousand hours in one type, I like to change planes to keep me on my toes. I've also done the seaplane rating and will be doing the glider rating soon too. Airline flying is airline flying, and I like it, but it's not always "fun". It is always "work". I wouldn't do anything else but fly something for a living.

I guess it's what you make of it. Flying is all I remember ever wanting to do and I try and embrace the challenges of the day to day realities of it (boy does that sound like management hogwash - I can't believe I typed it....)

Plus working for a great line helps. Although I do get it about different equipment types. I've seen just about every inch of the 73....

My favorite is still the 72.

My favorite is the 74, however I think that we need to learn to figure out how to leave it. For example my management has rendered our working conditions so much to their liking through the 1113 process that there is very little QOL left for us. I am searching very hard and do intend to leave and to fly no more. Some times the "price" of flying is so high and the risk/reward ratio no longer justifies continuing. It takes time to plan your exit properly. An airline pilot work schedule and pay scale is really supposed to be that of the 1930's or maybe of the 1950's 1960's or 1970's not what we have now. There is also the quotient of how many times you face the "odds" and for what pay and that is where risk/reward comes in and the new market conditions simply are not adequate.

To be honest, there is a HUGE difference in the flying international and domestic at the airlines.

Todays domestic trips are set up the way commuter flying used to be. Which, if you like flying 4-6 legs a day with a lot of short layovers is great.

Today's international trips are more like the the way it used to be system wide (ok, they are still better).
1. Show up to the airport
2. Do some preflight planning
3. Walk to the airplane
4. Get some food to go to eat on the way
5. Preflight
6. Fly & Land
7. Slide past customs like you are a native
8. Sleep
9. Then hit the ground running in a place where people save up and plan for years to visit.
10. Sleep & wake up and do it all over again

If you like that sort of thing.

If you fly domestic, perform steps 1-6 four or five times a day.
Disregard #7
Cut #8 in half
Forget about #9
#10 is done about 18 days a month.

If you like that sort of thing.

I think what I'm saying is that Intrernational Pilots are probably enthuastic.

Domestic Pilots are just tired.