I have been working in aerospace R&D engineering for the past 10 years (since school) and am considering a career change. I have always been interested in flying professionally, so that is on the short list of options to consider. While I have private pilot certificate, I opted initially for an engineering career in part because of family life considerations. However, that career has had its own travel requirements, and as sitting in my office at midnight trying to think through intractable technical and managerial problems is not uncommon, I question my wisdom. Perhaps the airline life, with its more cut-and-dry boundaries between work and life, would actually be preferable. That is what I am trying to get a read on.
A few more relevant details about me. I am 34 with soon to be two children, and live in the DFW area where a number of airlines have bases. I am financially prudent and have managed the profit from my first 10 years well. I do not need to chase the biggest pay check, so pursuing low time lines or dropping trips, if such things are available, to maximize nights at home would be ok as far as the pocketbook is concerned. If the lifestyle came down to working a 4 day trip over every weekend, I think it would be hard to ask that of the family. 3 day trips with only 1 day touching the weekend starts to be a very different story. I am just trying to discern where reality is, and greatly appreciate any insight from the experienced people here.