Folks,
What Stan and NSF have both said is a carbon copy of my experience in VS also.
The "lifestyle" portrayed for those on the outside is a different one from the one experienced by those of us on the inside. The Frank Abagnale JR image of aviation is dead and buried for LH IMHO,fundamentally the objective of VS is to make money for the share holders. EG Fly to NY(the city that never sleeps) and you hop on the bus that takes you to your hotel which happens to be in New Brunswick,NJ. an hour south of EWR,oooooozing glamour and lots of delsey dining,didnt someone mention see the world
if you have a hard-on for hotel rooms this is the gig for you to get into. I felt more like a professional time-killer down-route.I couldnt wait for those wheels to touch down again at LHR so I could get home. Its not all doom and gloom I did have a "few" good trips but they were very few and far between.
In my 2yrs at VS before I took sabbatical/VR, I had lost all interest in Aviation,flying a dead a/c (being phased out) and an unsure inordinate amount of time to CMD which I had for 2 1/2yrs on a 37 before I joined was enough for me to jump at unpaid leave/VR.
Unfortunately VS is not the prestigeous holy grail of aviation I thaught it was going to be,but you gotta try it for yourself,am glad I did but I am also glad I am back LHS SH less fatigued at home with Mrs Crilly, Jack and Dougal.
To echo Stans sentiments it wasnt my cuppa tea either.
Will i go back,never say never is what I have learned from aviation so far in my 12yrs.
Best of luck to wanabees applying,unfortunately I do think it will take a while for the external doors to open again,just my opinion thats all.