What are all the other 'unemployed' pilots doing?

[Kicking Horse]

As I sit here on a damp Saturday morning, I was wondering where everyone went to when the UK charter market shrank so quickly a couple of years ago?

I spent 5 very happy years until 2009 flying VFR machines (single and twin) to all the major sporting events throughout the UK, and keeping busy with lots of varied charter work too, and then it all stopped, very suddenly. So where did everybody go to?

I share my time between working as an 'contract' development engineer in the motor industry (which I hate much more than all the hassles and frustrations of trying to earn a decent wage as helicopter pilot!), and boring the pants off all the HR departments and Chief Pilots of the slightly more compact industry with highly ambitious application letters and CV's (and probably making them laugh too?)

So come on, spare 30 seconds and satisfy my ponderings by sharing your present 'workabouts'.

KH

[Old and Horrified]

I know one who is now an indoor sky diving instructor at the Trafford Centre in Manchester which he really enjoys. Next possible flying job is not until Cheltenham next March, but after the almost complete wash out due fog this year, potential clients may well choose not to risk it and to drive instead.

[Anthony Supplebottom]

Gardening and, in the winter, under going training to become a connoisseur wine taster.

Seriously, part-time consulting for buyers and new operators which, right now, are rarer than foie gras farms in Wiltshire but still get the odd one (mostly outside the UK)!

[Flyting]

Making babies and finishing the house... :\

[Art of flight]

I had the honour of being the first pilot redundancy from the newly formed NPAS, so after 36 years of shift work I'm now enjoying weekends and looking forward to Christmas AND New year off.