UTC - thanks for that correction. 4 this year = good. 2006 = poor.
Keeping an IR current will cost the best part of £2000 a year. It will also be extremely stressful as you passed last time at the zenith of your flight training and now have 52 weeks of rust to overcome.
I think as policy it is a good idea to plan your entry into the market such that you can get a first job within 12 months. I did my IR in Nov 1999 and by Nov 2000 I was in the position that BAE had to pay for my renewal and flight preparation. This is an ideal situation and I commend it to everyone.
Do everything bar the IR and the ATPL exams would be my advice at the moment. If you have a reasonably lucrative job - keep it for a while. Remember employers often ask - How many hours Total and THEN How many hours in the last 12 months? If you have low time then the total figures will be all of a muchness. Your initial application may stand or fall on the basis of the last 12 months hours total. Just to pass the secretary test i.e. "Bin any CV's that don't have 100hrs in the last 12 months".
With factors such as this plus currency for sim rides it looks sensible to enter the market when you have a realistic chance of a job within 12 months. If that means delaying at the moment - which I believe it does - then its the smart thing to do.
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