I have been reading this thread from the beginning and i think it's time i gave my input to this "Ryanair Saga".
First a little about myself:
I live in Belgium, started flight school when i was 18, ab-initio.
I did my flight school with Ben Air Flight Academy (
http://www.bafa.be - dutch) in evening school. Worked in the day hours to pay my school and went to school in the evening. Aside from that i had some help from my parents with payments like car, etc....
I finished school when i was 22.
Now here is my input:
It seems to me that most of you guys and galls have a "HERE AND NOW" expectation when you finish flight school, well, FORGET THAT.
Take it easy, don't go directly for that big jet, you WON'T get it, and if you do, your screwed. It's as simple as that.
Why not do like i do, contact a small local airport, ask for prices to rent an aircraft and place some advertising, whatever, take people on small trips, foto shoots, pick up and returns, package delivery, etc.... there is ENOUGH outthere if you let that grey mass inside your head work.
Do your time building, it won't cost you one penny.
I can see what the problem is here, your not flying those big birds.
Well, get over it. Why did you start flgith school in the first place? TO FLY. Not to tell your friends, parents, girlfriend your driving the bigest planes around the globe. I have a general love for "flying", not "flying big birds". I know, other people in our hard world of aviation, most people even, will laugh at you. So what? Your flying, they aren't, your building time, they aren't.
When you have enough time building and enough ME hours go write to some airlines, don't take the biggest outthere, start with the small ones and you'll see things are very different when you got something to show.
That's about the best of advice i can give you and it's worked for me. Right now i'm at the right seat of an MD-11, it took me 8 years but i'm there and you know what? I didn't put myself into debt and didn't destroy my personal life so boys and galls, there are ways, just keep holding on to that dream, don't let go and give it time.
Regards,
Ultra.
Belgium.