Of course GB, but some of the 'older' guys within the contract flying world are guys who have been doing it for years and have never wanted to do anything else.
That is slightly different from starting out in the contract world at 40.
Maybe thats what this poster wants, to live that kind of life, I speak only from my own experiences and as I got older the thought of being away for 6 weeks at a time, unable to hold down a relationship because you are never around, living in the a*re-holes of the world, for relatively average money is something I did only put up with because it was just me who I had to consider at that stage of my life and I surely could not go back to that kind of life now, and thats at the age of 32.
As for paying 40% tax, one must be on GBP 50k+ to fall into that bracket and if you are earning that much then your net is pretty good anyhow.
Tax is just one of those things we HAVE to do, its like dying, and I would rather pay it than have someone knock on my door 5 or 10 years down the line and then destroy your life by wanting the full back dated amount or you go to jail.
Also, at least in the UK you get something for your taxes, it is not perfect as you know, but we get free health care, free education, no roads with pot holes, traffic lights that dont go out every other afternoon and politicians who may well be corrupt, but no where near as corrupt or dishonest as in an African counrty where you may have to reside during your off time while working contracts.
May I ask where you are residing and paying tax?
I am not trying to say contract flying is bad or something he should not do, but I do believe the guy should hear the negative points to it as all he has got so far is the 'romantic' advice of, ' go and do some real flying in some strange and exciting places in Africa'.
Another point to consider, the majority of posters on this subject, I would hazard a guess at, are people who have done contract flying and are now doing something else or people who are using it as a stepping stone to something else, so you/they know it is not forever, now imagine if you were going to be doing contract flying forever, the picture might not be so pretty.
This is why he deserves to know all aspects of contract flying.