Boa that reads as if you started flying when you were about 9 y.o.

As you are aware 737 MAX probably exceeded its limit & should have been a new design.

Airbus can probably upgrade one or two more times until it needs a clean sheet also.

The Boeing wallet is currently burning because they wanted to save the operators a few bucks on staff costs, will they do it again?

The next step of cutting staff costs will be in the new clean sheet designs & they will need to be radical to cover development costs and get market share.

There are a few options to start the process, I see no (or small emergency only) windscreens or remote second pilot as options to create a bridge of reduced staff costs.

They already have. The Max is close to being recertified. If they wanted the expense of a clean sheet design they would already have started the process. In the current climate neither Boeing or Airbus have the financial capacity to start developing a pilotless airliner. The next new design if there is going to be one will be a narrow body. The narrow body environment is even less likely to go single pilot than the wide body.

Probably??? Have a read of the report, Boeing engineers and execs (some) blatantly lied to the FAA.

Any way, the entire debate about over whether two pilots should be reduced to one is based purely on the assertion from airline CEOs that pilots are too expensive. Those claims have never been proven, it’s CEO hearsay.

Mate I really feel for you and others like you in your position. FWIW Hex should never have been available for pilot's full stop, it's just not that type of profession. In light of the fact that you're already in I would not despair. One thing I can tell you after 30 plus years in this game is that a pilot surplus precedes a pilots shortage shortly thereafter. 5 years from now things will be looking much more positive and provided you stay in touch you should get a start if your still interested. In the mean time assess your options and if nothing presents maybe re-skill and start something else. You never know you might never look back. Whatever you do don't let it get you down and as hard as it is be positive about whatever your doing.

SN

I don’t think there will be another episode of pandemic hysteria. Despite the fact that the media and the government is still trying to peddle that wheel as fast as they can, behind closed doors they admit the response was seriously flawed and fails the cost/benefit model that socialized medicine usually follows. This was a one time deal..even a real pandemic couldn’t justify the response we’ve had.

On the the other hand there’s still climate change waiting in the wings whether it’s real or imagined, it’s still possible it gets used politically to shoot aviation down again (and modern civilization with it)