what do other 'pilots to-be' with fATPLs do while waiting for their big chance - or is it basically just get the best paid desk-job you can for a while and wait for your opportunity in the airline industry?
Dan, there are a few options but it depends on the indevidual.
I'd expect you'll be in the same position as me, a BSc in IT that should easily give you a £20k/£25k pa job at a desk 9-5.
But with a fATPL or indeed just a CPL you can get paid to fly. Add a £7k Flying Instructor course to that and you can instruct for a living (albeit while waiting for a positive reply from the CV you sent to the airlines).
FI's pay isn't that good but it's not bad either. Consider you'll be flying as much as 800hrs a year doing something you love but only getting paid £18k / £20k (?) pa.
Some people can't instuct, don't want to instruct or don't have the £7k to do a FI course to instruct. So if they have experience/degree that can earn them £30k pa to keep a roof over their family's head I can't blame them for going back to the office job.
Others that have a big HSBC loan of say £50k around their neck will have £1k debited from their account every month for the next 6 years. I can't imagine a FI pay being enough to pay this loan and live?
Other jobs can be glider tug, banner towing or work with a skydiving school etc
Good luck
