Rottweiler22:
He must have either a CPL (Commercial Pilot’s Licence) or an ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence). He’ll also have a “type rating”, meaning a specific qualification to fly a specific aircraft. A bit like a specific qualification to drive a Volvo or Scania.The issue is that the “type” that he flew on (presumably a Bombardier Q400), is now not used in the UK, as flyBe were the only user of that type. So sadly, the rating he has is now practically useless.
To get another job, he’d need to undertake another type rating. Which would mean getting another job, for another airline. Which won’t happen any time for probably the next 2 years.
In September 2019, Thomas Cook went bust leaving around 600 pilots unemployed on the UK pilot market. Around 400 were absorbed by other airlines, leaving 200 still looking for work. In March 2020 flyBe went bust, adding 600 pilots to that number. 50 pilots were made redundant by Wizz UK last week. Norwegian shedded over 1,000 pilots in Scandinavia on Monday, with several hundred in the UK of a similar fate.
That’s well over 1,000 pilots just in the UK who are unemployed. With literally ZERO pilot jobs available. Airlines have practically no revenue, yet costs are astronomical. The words “aviation” and “cheap” never go in the same sentence. Airlines are losing hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of pounds per day.
And in the weeks to come, the weakest companies are probably Virgin Atlantic and TUI UK. Plus lots of smaller airlines fighting to survive. Should anything happen to them, that would be another 1,500 pilots on the UK pilot market. 2,500 pilots unemployed, just in the UK, with absolutely no jobs out there. At all. Maybe, just maybe there could be a chance of an interview in 2021. But there will be hundreds after that one job.
I have the utmost respect and sympathy for this lad. But aviation is absolutely brutal. Beyond brutal. At least he is clever enough to have a plan B.
Tell you what else he has mate.
A pair of the most swollen plums ever 
Christ on a bike, what a kick in the (Tesco Goole)ies. Still, every little helps I suppose.