The best part of being an airline pilot?
Sunrise at altitude. Sunset at altitude. Watching a line of thunderstorms at night from a distance. "Greasing" a landing. Having a fearful flyer pass a note saying thank you for making the flight so comfortable for them. An early morning, summertime departure. Having kids up front in the cockpit before and after flight. Helping a passenger calm down when they feel their world is falling apart traveling today. Older people and the way they compliment a smooth flight. Older ladies when they complain about your "greaser" landing (you just gotta laugh!). Visual approaches. Visual approaches when tower says, "make short approach." 250 knots to the marker, yet still complying with all company mandated restrictions on being configured and stabilized. A 30-degree banked turn to final when you line it right up on the centerline. Flying with a guy or gal who has "been there, done that" and coming away learning more than you could imagine. Smooth air. Breaking out of a could deck on a gloomy morning to find a beautiful sunrise. A good overnight. A good overnight with a good crew. A good overnight with more than one good crew! When it is snowing at home, relaxing on a beach at work. Having your kids look up to you for who you are at home, and who you are at work. Having your kids tell you every day they want to be a pilot just like you (what kid wants to be a senior analyst?). Most importantly, dealing with problems, issues, troubles, and idiocyncracies and coming through all of them knowing you did the right thing and got everyone from A to B safely that day.
Through it all, there is really no job I'd rather do.
