To the NEWB below  

I'm rated in both fixed wing and helicopters and have been flying for almost 40 years. I currently fly hell EMS, but have also flown fixed wing turboprops and jets for corporations and airline as well. I love to fly, always have and will until I can't anymore.

The bottom line to me is this:

- You make your own happiness. If you choose to be happy, the you will be, whatever the circumstances. If you choose to be disgruntled and unhappy, then you will be, whatever your circumstance.

- Every job has it's good and bad. Helicopter pilots in many cases don't make as much as their FW peers. They also aren't typically away from home as much and definately don't have 300 plus passengers that they're responsible for. Helicopter pilots do make as much as their FW peers for like positions such as EMS, charter, and corporat and make more than the regional 121 pilots. To compare a major airlines pilot pay with any of these is not a fair comparison. Trust me, the pilots at major carriers put in a lot of sweat and years and worked some low paying jobs to get where they are.

- As I mentioned earlier I've enjoyed all of the flying that I've done, although I think that helicopters are more fun. You're down where you can see things and feel like the aircraft is part of you. Airplanes are fun on the takeoff and landing, but the enroute time on the autopilot is fairly mundane.

- You will work for good and some not so good people regardless of the track you take. That's just part of working life.

- Lastly, this forum is the worst place to ask a serious question about jobs and happiness. Most on here seem very unhappy, which is a sad thing.

Do what you enjoy, make enough to pay the bills and save for retirement, have faith and a relationship with God, and everything else will work out just fine.

Go fly, have fun, and don't let others drag you down to their unhappiness.