I have worked as both a full time instructor and a brief time as a first officer on a heavy turboprop; however since getting layed off I have spent the last two years back in the design office. Although as a contractor, I am earning more more than double what I use to earn as tp FO, I can say I have spent the last two years extremely bored and frustrated.
Dispite all the pitfalls of flying (erratic rosters, days down route in a hotel, 2 in the morning call outs) it still beats been stuck in a office from 9 to 5.
I use to be against pay to fly, however if a sstr or a p2f scheme is my way back to flying, then in my opinion another 15 to 30 k is a small price to pay to avoid spending the rest of my working life in an office.