Dear Stuart,
All the above information is good advice. I started a thread sometime back on the cost of overall training in the Uk, with many people putting their input in.
You are like many people who have sold something, or working two or three jobs to get what they want or think they want to do. The civilian helicopter industry in the uk onshore and offshore is a long and very expensive road to travel. You will have some pilots that have gained their licences and have started to earn a appropriate salary to support the family within 18 months........ exceptionally lucky people, majority of guys I know it has taken them anywhere between 5 to 10 years !
In time you will gain experience, that will make you more maketable to the large companies. I take it you are married with a family, and do not have a job and your wife is going to retrain. Cold hard facts are that you maybe unlucky and are not earning 30.000pounds a year from instruction or commercial work until another 5 years, wifey is then qualified with her new degree, what will be her projected income after she finishes because she may have to support the household.
Another thing that a very good friend of mine tells people and that is, "before starting on this new career path your married partner must understand and be 100% behind you, as that quite a few students have travelled the path and their partners have become very despondent in not understanding your new career, and the large financial burden of sending your family down this road". Helicopter Pilots do have a rather high divorce rate along their career.
Be very aware of training schools saying you can earn 100,000 pounds a year after 5 years. There are very few training captains in the offshore market in the uk that earn that, and they have been at it for the last 20 years. Other option is once qualified tour and work around the world, which will then kick the settled down with family in the nuts.
Saying all of the above seems not a good horse to bet on, but we are not sitting behind a desk all day, we can be free and fly around the skies and realise that you could not do anything else.
I do have friends that are content in the uk industry, those that do not earn huge amounts of money, but their partners have well paying jobs so the family and household is financially secure, with no divorce solicitors insight
All the best
Fluffy5