was contemplating posting a new topic, but I think I'll just join the crowd here and post my situation / questions.
I started training in August 2007, when people were leaving and getting jobs with as few hours as 200, it all seemed so nice and sparkly, but alas, it was the top of the proverbial roller-coaster, and it all came crashing down.
At the moment I'm working as a flight instructor in Florida, and I've also seen what the times have done to the outflow and influx where I work.
There has basically been no outflow of instructors at all in our school for the last 1.5 years or so, all the senior instructors have stayed put, because there is no where else to go. No matter if one has ATP and 2000 hours.
The students keep on coming, though in a diminished rate, but what I see now, is something that kind of looks like a slow change in the trend. Maybe we have reached the low part of this roller-coaster, and we're ever so slowly changing the vertical speed?
In the last few months many of the senior instructors have been at interviews, and just lately several of them has left school to go work with corporate, freight and even regional airlines.
Maybe some light at the end of the tunnel? I'm no Nostradamus, so I won't preach the second coming, but still, as I'm stuck here, I can at least save a glimmer of hope
Now, onto myself. I'm preparing to leave Florida, and return home to Northern Europe. I'll be leaving with a FAA CPL-Single/Multi/IR, CFI-Single/Multi/IR, and about 800 hours, of them about only 70 hours multi.
In October/November, I reckon I will have my JAA CPL/ME/IR + Frozen ATPL + MCC.
I'm not tied down anywhere, so I'm willing to go to anyone who is willing to offer me a job flying anything with two wings and 1+ engines anywhere in the world.
What I'm not willing to do is pay someone to kill the profession AKA Ryanair or the likes.
I Understand that SSTR is starting to become more of the trend, but I wont sell my soul to pay for line training or any other idiocy like that (I will pay for a type rating if there's a genuine GOOD job offer at the end of the rope though).
Thankfully I have made some friends working over here, with some students seeded around in places like Korea, Nigeria etc, I'm hoping that little Network will pay me back, and I can work anywhere as long as its not extremely hazardous.
Am I in for a long wait as well, or what are your guys' expert opinion?