Good point council van, some of the most fun I've ever had in a plane was with Highland Airways doing low level VFR around the Scottish islands in a Jetstream.
Also, are you hell bent on fixed wing or would you consider helicopter flying, there's plenty of good jobs these days in the rotary sector flying offshore, EMS, police helicopters etc. And crazy money on offer if you're prepared to go further afield and do daft things like heli logging or oil work in dangerous third world places. A hell of a lot more money than you'll make flogging a C206 round a safari park anyway.