I dont know why you havnt considered it in the current climate, probably not interested but its you're choice. If you want to rush off to the airlines the logical path is through instructing. Rating done in 8 weeks, spend the next 3 months doing 5hours a week, which sounds rubbish BUT you're working, you're getting some hours, you're getting paid and you have time for your ATPL's. After that the hours will just start rolling in and you're left with you next choice, MECIR and push for charter, MECIR, Grade 1 and thence META.
Need to consider everything here. You're after set hours not any kind of work. Multi in a PA-44 it looks the same as PA-31 on paper to an airline. Remember what the airlines are looking for too, they dont care if you can get a heavy Baron into an ag strip on one engine during the middle of the wet season. They want to see that you can work in a multi-crew environment conforming to their SOP's and that you know the regs like you wrote them. Whats a better environment to learn that in?
Anyway, like I said, your call but I know which path I and all of my colleagues chose and then there are those who chose... the former.
Things to consider:
I'm not in an airline but that's my choice I'm where I want to be however all of my previous colleagues had instructing backgrounds and First job to airline was between 3-5 years.
You can be a slacker and stay in the City.
You can hang onto the dream that this COULD be a 9-5 job
Despite what you will think at the time, you will get treated the BEST out of the whole industry as an instructor.
(It's like 'Shamwow', sells itself.)
Cheers,
Just another EOCVictim