FTE
I used to work at FTE but I am better now, so I feel qualified to update some of you on both FTE and life in Spain.
First FTE. There is an currently on-going "consultation" between the flying instructors and senior management about a proposed pay cut to be imposed and salary to be performance related. The management have so far pretty well rejected all the proposals put forward by the instructors and seem hell bent on forcing a "take it or leave it" solution. Those who choose not to accept the terms will be made redundant with a 20 day severance pay. The pay cuts and revised terms are due to the management's perception that the instructors are not working hard enough. The fact that quite often the brand new aircraft are unserviceable, that there are far too many students as a result of managements refusal to listen to the advice of those managers who knew about flying training, that the weather is not always as good as you would like to think in Spain, that there are often delays in getting the aircraft refuelled and, as if that were not enough, that flight training takes place in a part of the world with the world's most inefficient and lazy ATC environment is not accepted by the management who insist on blaming the instructors. Needless to say, morale is at rock bottom and is not helped by the fact that the flight management team by and large are ineffective.
Spain. Living there is not necessarily the panacea that some would lie to believe. In some respects the cost of living is cheaper than in the UK but that is outweighed by the fact that you pay tax on ALL your income - there is no tax-free allowance like there is in the UK. The days when it was possible to offset the rent and car leasing against tax are now over. In addition there is the spectre of having to declare all overseas income (Form 720, penalty of 10000 euros for not doing so or for a wrong declaration) with the very real possibility of the Spanish Inland Revenue making a claim on UK income/investments/property irrespective of whether or not you have already paid tax on it in the UK has already driven many expats out of the country.
The summer weather can be oppressively hot and unless you enjoy flying an un-airconditioned aircraft in temperatures in the mid to high 30s summer is not that much fun. Again, unless you can get by without seeing rain for four or five months of the year summer has its drawbacks.
The Spanish themselves are nocturnal and noisy and genetically engineered to be totally selfish. Most restaurants don't even bother to open till around 2100 so there is not much point in planning to go out for an early meal unless you like MacDonalds or Burger King.
Initially I enjoyed my time at Jerez but these days the quality of life, both at work and at home, plus the financial "rewards" make it a place to think very carefully about before signing any dotted lines.