D Boy,
I think to be honest that there are an awful lot of us who are 'sick of it'. I am 37 with just over 400 hrs. I am a licensed Aircraft Engineer employed on the Airbus/Boeing fleets at Stansted, and even with all my contacts i cannot even get an interview.
I speak to the crew everyday, and the flight deck are mainly from different countries, who are whinging and moaning about working long hours and how cold and expensive Britain is.
Now that I am 37 my options are so limited, because of companies like CTC having cut off age requirements, that I am either going to have spend another £20 K on a type rating or just keep applying to companies like Eastern and VLM, who start paying £18K for a F/O position. That's a £12K drop in income for me considering I have a mortgage,wife, and two young children.
Dilemma? You bet...!
I just wish I could turn the clocks back and have invested my £40K into a sensible investment. I have spoken to everybody from the Airlines,IPA,Balpa,Training Captains, HR Dept, you get the idea, and to be honest they just don't have the answer.
I am not asking for a job on a BA 777 or a job with Virgin flying there new A380's when they are delivered. The bottom line is the people with the most money wins. It's that simple! It's the Chelsea scenario...they just buy success. That's my analogy!
I don't want a pat on the back or sympathy, I just want a chance to show these companies that I'm quite an employable bloke, who is willing to do his best. I am not Gods gift to aviation, but I see myself as a responsible and hard working individual.
One thing that I have decided on is this...I am not spending another penny on flying. It's simple I can't afford it. I spent nearly £1000 on my IR renewal in February and all for what.
By the way I have sent over 1300 CV's to companies since September 2003 and I have had 1 interview with Now Airlines who went bust before they got off the ground literally.
I have phoned,emailed,posted and knocked on doors. Sent flowers, thank you cards and had personal recommendations from people high in the company and still... nothing.
I have got to the point that every time I go to work I try to avoid the Pilots who know me, because they keep asking me how I am getting along with the job hunting and I feel embarrassed to keep telling them the same thing week in week out. They are just being polite but they must think that I am bloody useless.
The question we are all asking ourselves is this...what do we do next? When you find out the answer to that question let me know!