Only one message for anyone thinking of contracting - join the Professional Contractors Group (PCG). Here you will get more advice on how to contract in a post-IR35 world than from anywhere else (13,000 members can be a terrific asset).
URL is
http://www.pcgroup.org.uk
Otherwise, I can only agree with other sentiments here - IT contracting is a great way to fund your flying aspirations... I currently have PPL/IMC/Night/ATPL Theory, and start CPL in June - as an "oldie" (38), with wife, 2 kids and a mortgage, I couldn't have afforded to do it without the flexibility and potential earnings of contracting. If all goes to plan, then within a couple of years I should be returning to the ranks of the permanent employee (other than of my own company, of course), but the only computer I expect to use is the FMC on the flight deck of my nice shiny 737 (I can dream...)!!!! After that, who knows, I gather there is a contract pilot market....!
Best of luck,
Paul