There's still plenty of money in aviation finals19 ... just about every F/O in the big four arab gulf airlines are pulling around £60 - 70,000 a year tax free, with a free house provided and all bills / schooling / healthcare etc paid, which I guess if you turn into a pre-tax equivalent in europe would be a package well in excess of the magical £100,000 you refer to. Captains earn roughly 50% more again, with time to command running around 4 - 5 years in most places. Two years so far out here and I have paid off most of my debts and made some investments, and I can honest-to-god see myself having enough in the bank to retire after another 10 or 12 years, and I will still be only mid 40's at that stage. And yes I'm married with kids.
I'm not by any means trying to talk it up or show off, I know the mid east is not everyone's cup of tea, but it is unnecessary and demoralizing for the wannabe's to sit here and say blanket things like "money is finished in aviation" because it's clearly not. There are thousands and thousands of pilots out here all on the same employment contracts, and many thousands more will be needed in the next few years believe me.
I am nothing special as a pilot whatsoever (and the truth is that a damn trained monkey could do 99% of what we do in long haul). Getting the first job is like that competition they do in shopping malls where a bunch of people have to stand still and keep their hand on the car, after however many days have gone by, the last person touching the car after everyone else has given up wins. NEVER. GIVE. UP. and you shall be richly rewarded.
Last edited by Luke SkyToddler; 29th Aug 2009 at 09:40.