easterskyjet,
having a md 11 or 747 rating won't give you more chance. market is over saturated with pilots and will stay like this for years to come.
unemployment continue to raise in Europe and it won't change in 2 years . i think in 5 years, aviation will not be in a better position as fuel and misery increase.
I have my self a 320 rating that I started years ago in an airline, and did many back seat in the cockpit during my rating. company went bust a few weeks later and many pilots lost their job included me.
I paid for my type rating with a job promise, and I realize sadly too late , it worths absolutely nothing. a 320 rating worths nothing and a promise is just a promise. not a contract.
here some facts:
nobody on earth is going to give you a job and pay you when thousand of guys are ready to pay to work.
having a type rating plus hours don't give you more chances. having money in your bank account make you feel better than the poor pilot with his 500h and no job.
there is absolutely no guaranty you keep your job when guys are knocking on doors with bags of money to give to your boss.
500h line training doesn't really exist. it s just a new invention from airlines to take your money. when you move of airline, you need to redo the line training. there is no license for line training... your line training worth nothing. you get the hours but nobody give a toss about your line training you did in Africa or else...
go on a
airline, give them your money, come back in Europe and try to look for a job when the airline where you did the line training is black listed...
who want hire a pilot who don't want to use a check list or don't respect sop or minimum fuel or take extra weight by lying and sitting the system(many pilots do that and you will be forced to lie too if you want fly your 500h)
your line training may end your life too.
contract in airlines are crap. it s all in their interest, nothing in yours...
pretty much like "if you are sick or if we kick you out, you pay us 1 million dollars and you don't go work in aviation the rest of your life"
Asian airlines will not give you a job unless you are Asian. many Asian pilots are like us sitting at home... why? because Asian countries have trained many pilots, and there is less job than pilots...
instructor don't make any money, except maybe in summer, salary are usually low and airlines don't care of your 2000 or 3000h single engine.
the only way to get a good job in aviation is to know someone, network, net work, met work...
instead to pay thousand in line training and type rating. better to get friends in the airline management.
and to finish, i know guys who have paid for line training they got nothing. and i know guy who don't pay and fly now for national airlines.
my advice to all of you: keep your money, and do something else than just dreaming to play with planes because at the end, this aviation is a kid game... we want play the pilot and have fun. this is why in a normal job people don't work if no pay, because in a normal job you work your but all day long for money to buy your food and pay your rent.
would be better for you to invest In a nice computer with a nice graphic card and play some flight simulators... or build you flight simulator.
in 4 words: become a man and stop to dream.