More evidence for a New Year war in the Gulf from The Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...354027,00.html
On this forum people rightly spend a great deal of time discussing the state of the hiring market. We all, myself incuded, try to divine what the near future holds. Such estimation is necessary for people to make rational choices about committing to training.
These strong indication of upcoming military conflict are of prime importance to such estimation.
I know you can't go on forever waiting another six months just in case. I know many are already committed and don't want to hear advice not to be.
However, I think there is real merit in postponing another 6 months any major committment to training such as giving up your job, taking out a major loan or completing a time limited rating such as an IR.
All bets will be off if we see Gulf WarII in the New Year.
Seriously. The large airlines in the region will freeze recruiting or lay pilots off to the World market and many will head home - here. Americans generally stay at home during wars to watch CNN. The stock market hates a war and they are quite expensive on taxes.
All in all NOT what the airline industry needs right now.
Fingers crossed that it all never comes to pass.
WWW