An interesting thread . Having been employed for near on 40 years in the forward facing lounge a few observations . History repeats itself , Pilots retire , the ones with the age and skill set as opposed to experience only get snapped up by the big operators . This feeds done the ladder to GA where many are quite happy . Ripples are created when operators go bust but dont last for ever . They never have . If its what you want a downturn is the ideal time to get started . Sure its a gamble , like life itself . But the odds are good if you have the natural skills which make the job money for old rope .