light at the end of the tunnel?

[duckman]

I flew with a captain at GAC that had bounced around 5 or 6 freight operators, including a couple in Africa. He said it best: when you boil it all down, the only things that matter are friends and family.

I think your old captain is about right HUCK...I've also heard that the older you get....the less $$ means to you. (How old that is I'm not sure....nursing home maybe??) And you start to look back and say "Did I make a difference anywhere along the line". Anyway....face it...airline jobs keep you away from those family and friends much more than other jobs. SO it better make up for the absense in quality of life (= $$ and time off) so you CAN make a difference to them. I really can't say that it appears the job has a whole lot of what I call "SOUL" to it either. Successful takeoff and landing--getting people where they need to go..ya maybe. Doesn't seem like it would compare to commanding a military unit, being CEO of a company (small or large) or running your own business-- where the success or failure of the unit/company rests on your leadership/management..and the feeling of accomplishment with that success. Like most guys allude to...it's a job.