Bit doom and gloom here.

I work more days than I used to, I work longer hours than I used to and I am away from home more too. The money I earn has gone up but my actual take home has not. On a good day I love it. On a bad day I want to go home, but I have to work and I would rather do this than anything else. If I did not need to work I would go 50% and when down route eat in nice restaurants rather than crew food.

If easy give you the option to return take it. You can always change your mind and it would at least be an experienced pilot in a wave of flight school aces.

Given your selflessness you owe it to yourself to do what you want

Chaps i once again thank you all for giving me your unique perspectives.

Yesterday morning i got a call asking if i could i pop into the sim in the afternoon, i did so nervously and left with a tremendous smile on my face. It felt as if i've never been away and i never got the same joy walking into the hedge fund offices in mayfair.

Called my friend to say thanks but no thanks.

I'm coming back! :p

:ok: fantastic news! That's made my day.

Congratulations you very much deserve it

A very wise decision. Hedge funds do not pay ££ for the fun of it, they pay for results and given you've got no experience in them, it's questionable if you'd last long enough to make and keep making the big ££. Sometime more luck than ability as well....

I hesitated to offer an opinion, as it is a very personal judgement call.

FWIW I think you made the right move. :D

Sure there has been deterioration in the industry since 2008, but I would hazard a guess that most professions would claim likewise.

Most of the "press" Easy get on here seems positive, and it seems even the spectre of "flexicrew" is being gradually righted.

At the end of the day, after 30 years in the industry & 37 since my 1st flying lesson, I still get out of bed at awful o'clock in good spirit (well once I have cleared the Cobwebs with some black stuff anyhow) & still have a camera in my flight bag every day, which I put to good & frequent use.

I have , over the years, met many, much wealthier than I will ever be, who were, not to put too fine a point on it, miserable bar stewards.
If work is merely "work", no amount of bucks = adequate compensation for the hours of your life wasted to earn them.

Welcome back. I hope you have made the right decision.

What is right for one person is not right for another and I have no doubt you have thought about things long and hard and reached the right decision for you.

Hurry up and write to the CAA. I've just put in a request for an assessment regarding an expired ATPL reissue. They tell me it'll take them up to thirty working days to get an answer to my initial queries. As my UK IR expired seven years (thank you RAFAT) ago this coming September, six weeks becomes a significant wait.

Most Kind ex employer......
 

Wish I could achieve the same .Currently out of the bubble for 5 years, trying to getting back in is nearly impossible. All my " friends " have long vanished and yes I am bitter because us older guys with a couple of decades flying under the belt dont even merit replies. Pilots like me can fly and teach groundschool and be multi-functional but P2F is the present and future:ugh:

Welcome back! We all know the ups and downs of this industry, but the smile on your face says it all.

Go for it fellow pilot
 

While we all know that the time to stop will come,
I've been blessed with help from mates to keep
my ATP/Instructor's valid.
Nowadays there is little work around in South Africa anyway for us
with grey hair, but some people prefer pilots with grey hair
& their 20+K hours. Cultivate those clients!
Part 91 ( now being changed to something else) is also an option.

Well done returnofaking !
 

Whatever profession is chosen there are always pitfalls and pluses.

I hope you're return can help EZY mgt towards a more open culture that values experience and old school airmanship that has in large part been lost since you left in 2008 when they pursued the cadet/ flexi and now MPL only recruitment.

Contrary to what has been reported very few experienced pilots have been recruited over the past 6 years from ex military/turboprop/GA/non 500h on type Airbus communities.

All the best!

Easyjet a good decision
 

Well done you and

Well done Easyjet :D