As a Canadian training in Europe my $0.02 (£0.0102123) is the following:
1) If you don't have a citizenship of an EU country you can basically forget it. The training will be far more expensive than Canada and your chances of getting a work VISA are 0 to forget it. The market here is too saturated for you to have any hope, really. Do the smart thing and stay in Canada. If you have an EU citizenship then give it a go, it's not as cold over here
Further to that, however, is that if you're 100% deadset on Europe (to which I take my hat off, everyone told me to stay in Canada but I'm having the time of me life over here) is that do the training in Europe and convert to TC; the other way is extremely expensive. I don't remember the exact rules, but I think under 500hrs to convert TC>EASA you'll be spending upwards of $15,000+. To convert EASA>TC is far, far cheaper....I could be wrong so someone feel free to correct me.
2) I don't know where
TheSkiingPilot gets his information and I won't accuse him of anything, but what he says about Bartolini Air is unequivocally false from my experience. The school is fantastic and I know many who have gone there and ended up at Easy, Ryanair, Wizz, Eastern and even Qatar. The weather in Poland is fine, winters aren't that bad and the summer (according to my GF) has been cooking hot and sunny for weeks. Guys are finishing their CPL/ME/IR in 6-7 weeks and then getting hired within a few months - not a bad deal if you're spending 1/3 if not less than an integrated license. They don't fool around either - I know a couple people who've gone there, are fantastic pilots and did their PPL in 45-47 hours. In Canada it seems every. single. flight school. will do a PPL in an average of 50-55 hours. Even look on this forum, everything you read about Bartolini is positive...there's a reason for that.
3) A 6 year FO making 70k at Westjet isn't working very hard....there's guys pulling way more than that. But it's not just about the money. If you can't hack the Middle East is it really worth the extra money to be that much more miserable? And the AC/WJ guys are having a great time once you do a little bit of work. 8-10 years at AC and you're in the ONE PERCENT of earners in Canada....do the math. 3rd year A320 F/O at AC, according to PPJN, and you're making mid 80s...that ain't bad at all. My Dad raised a family of 4 kids on less than that on the West Coast. And if you can't save in Canada you should go talk to a financial adviser, saving is easy there unless you're hell bent on spending all your money.
If you have any questions feel free to PM me
