That is *exactly* what went through my head a month ago before I sent in my deposit. I was very agitated about the whole situation, and as a stress reliever I went flying with an old friend who is also furloghed from USAirways. His advice was this: don't focus so closely on the next year or so, have the big picture in mind. A lot of us think only about getting through flight school and instructing, when in the larger picture of a career it's just a first step. That's natural, since it's all we know at this point. I do believe FSI provides a superior foundation for a career, with academics and additional training (acro, disorientation, CRM, systems, etc) even though there may be a wait to instruct.