It’s a different world - if you do the work because you think it makes you a badass… well, you’re probably not one. I think that goes for most jobs. Nobody wants to hear the story “there I was, just me, 1/4SM feeezing fog, and a plane load of terrified villagers.” Nobody cares and those guys are usually tools. Discretion is the better part of valor.
But it is challenging work, and you’ll never be bored. I loved it - still miss it immensely. Lots of freedom, minimal adult supervision, and generally I was home every night.
But now that I don’t do it anymore I will say this, you will selectively break all sorts of rules to get the job done - sometimes it makes sense, other times it doesn’t. Bending the rules so you survive is different than breaking the rules so your boss makes more money.
After I got married/had kids/grew up a little bit (not much, but a little bit) I really didn’t have to prove anything anymore. Consequently, my flying got safer and I scared myself a lot less. I started participating in trying to make it safer too, but consequently, the set of jobs I was willing to work dramatically shrank. That and the BS I was willing to tolerate from my employer plummeted.
It’s fantastic flying and a great way to make a living but anyone who thinks it’s glamorous or that it makes them a badass is delusional.
