G'Day Gear up. Mate it's hard to say what the hiring trends will be in 4-5 years time. That's the gamble we all take in aviation.
It's plain to see that your hearts in flying. No one can fault you on that point. Very sad to hear about your experience with a 'yeller and screamer'. I too have experienced such moronic behaviour from idiots who I was paying to teach me to fly and, if it's any consolation, history showed that these people more often than not turned out to be rejected by the airlines. Fortunatly, I have a chip on both shoulders and applied the dictum of getting revenge on those who slight me through being successful.
Current employment trends have seen mid-30s people with 5000hrs and turbines being recruited in Oz. However, the requirement for pilots in Europe has always outstripped that back home. The industry in Australia is largely gutted these days and you may have more opportunities where you are.
Funny how people such as the QF capt in your post come out of the woodwork to to discourage you. I got my CPL at 24 and was told by a variety of people that I was too old. Funny how each of these either had kids who would be competing with me or were competitors themselves. In hindsight, I realize that they knew that I would outperform them in the job market. And I did.
The break in your flying would reqiure some explaination in an interview situation. I will be honest and say that your stated reasons for that will not cut much chop with an interview panel. I would suggest that you see an employement consultant for grooming prior to presenting for an interview. Make sure that you choose one who does grooming for airline candidates. Good luck
