I've often been branded as Dr Doom on these forums. Fundamentally I'm cautiously optimistic about the prospects for the UK and the major industrial Western nations. A vast vast world of new customers is opening up around the Globe. Yes they can work bashing together goods in huge factories more cheaply and efficiently than we can. So our factories will close. Luckily the UK got that out of the way early. First to build the factories and mass manufacture - first to close and move on. Fine.
The UK has considerable strengths in the industries of the 21st Century. We can add value to many a good or service without the need of a pair of overalls.
I do struggle though to reconcile now with, say 1992, because back then Ryanair and easyJet were only 4 and 5 years away. I simply, in Europe, cannot see another period of turbocharged growth in pilot jobs like the one we have just experienced. There simply isn't scope for another 450 jet airline in the EU even with the complete modernisation of the Eastern nations.
The goldrush is over. The industry has sucked in a vast swathe of relatively youngish pilots and recruiting in the JAA/EASA states is going to drop right off. Back to normal some might say. But normal is going to feel fairly frugal.
WWW