Checkmate
First, I absolutely agree that money isn't everything and I miss hugely taking the dog into the hills (on the days it isn't raining) and disappearing for 4 hours into proper nature. I also miss proper supermarkets, and the usual things, local butchers being a particular heartache, and going to a real pub instead of a British-style one in the Rotana!
But just to clarify, there was no mention of Range Rovers, holidays to St Lucia, homes with land and stables...a 350 grand house (sorry, I meant 350 not 420!) in Cheshire, or in fact anywhere near Manchester, one of the less expensive areas of the UK, will not exactly get you a palace...it'll get you something big enough for a family of 4, and the dog...and some garden space.
I would never call 10 days in Spain an "exotic holiday"...but to feed 4 people, fly them there, hire a car and a place to stay, will cost 2500 quid once you've bought those bloody reed mats, a crap brolly, a snorkel and some unidentifiable "cheese" and olives that won't get eaten from El Spar.
2 cars isn't a nicety; if I and the wife work, or even if she doesn't, we'd need a dog/child mobile like a Passat estate and something flash, like a Polo or an A3 if we're really pushing the boat out for the airport car...
People have their own opinions of private schooling but the vast majority of pilots I've ever met want private school for their kids and so do I, if you are lucky enough to live near one of the few very good state funded schools, that's great. Most people don't.
I can't believe that you could house a family of 4 or 5 comfortably in a 200 grand flat down South!
The point I was making is that for a lifestyle that is far from luxurious, but one that makes you think it's worth flying the new FTL limits, you're going to struggle in the UK unless you're a DEC with a working wife or a TRE/TRI, and when I hear people saying that they will leave Dubai to go "anywhere", especially FO's, it seems very naive.
I have no particular intention of living here forever and Dubai has plenty (PLENTY) of problems itself, but so often I hear the "Ah, but you get to live at home" argument, and it's usually from people who have been away for long enough to think you can get by having everything you want and will revel in being able to drive up the M62 to work every day on a 19 grand Seneca job. You absolutely can't and that's why, yet again, this roadshow will have very limited results once people do their sums. Of course the rest of Europe may well be different, especially if you are lucky enough to want to base yourself in Eastern Europe.
Last edited by 170to5; 25th Apr 2016 at 17:18.