portsharbourflyer,
Very interested to hear you have had a similar experience. Good luck in getting your airline job.
I've also seriously contemplated a move into line flying but I'm in an engineering job which pays the equivalent of good FO wages, and so am reluctant to do so, especially when I need to shell out for an MCC and a type rating. I think my move into FTE/TP work is likely to be, as you mention, through PFA or GA stuff and is likely to be more of a hobby than a career. I'm certainly not putting my life on hold for it. It is a great shame that the aviation industry in this country is not what it was, and that there aren't more openings for those of us who have not gone down the military route, however good our flying and engineering backgrounds. Most (if not all) of the CAA/PFA TPs I know are ex-military too.
CEng and a CPL aught to be a magic ticket to some really cool job, but that's aviation for you: it's a totally mad industry*.
* but has this magic appeal that's unlike anything else and keeps suckers like me hanging on in there !