Thanks for the suggestion re Australia. I did the Slingair (Kununurra) stint back in the late 90's when still single, unmortgaged, and kid-free (well, as far as I know anyway), but this is not an option now due to acquiring all three of the above.
I did my MEIR training through GBA back when they were touting free (?) 20 hours co-pilot time as a carrot. This co-pilot time was never finished, as I broke my leg in a skiing accident, so I wonder......? Who is the go-to person there these days ?