Whilst airlines were once famous for higher salaries, I reckon it won't be too long before, fed up with having to show up at airports 2 hours before a 1 hour flight, the business community will turn increasingly to private high-speed helicopters for intra-European travel. So professional non-military helicopter jobs might perhaps be on the increase over the next few years?
Despite all the joking about living in holes in the ground and eating mud, I'm sure that helicopter flying would be something you'd enjoy hugely - not that for me it would replace the excitement of watching 'transonic jump' on the altimeter at 250 ft whilst chasing a couple of Jaguars into Otterburn range many years ago......
If you can join the Swedish helicopter force directly (something, Army Air Corps aside you couldn't do in the UK) - then go for it! After a few years you might then get a job flying wealthy business folk around with a couple of Scandiwegian lovelies pouring them ice-cold Absolut in the back!
[ 16 November 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]