Thank you for that very thorough reply zondaracer,

just a few minutes ago before typing this, I have gotten off the phone with the UK CAA after a series of back and forth conversations that spanned the past few days on and off, concerning any questions or confusions I might have. They have been very very helpful in clarifying things.

Well, I'm certainly glad there are still some opportunities and that things aren't completely kaput, but even as such, I can now see that It will be like this for a while. I guess something to console oneself with during all this, is that regardless of how things are or will be, I'd still need that license conversion done in order to be eligible for a job in the first place. Until I get there, to some degree, it is useless in taking things to heart and worrying about what the future will bring. At the same time however, it pays to get some research done, or listen to others' experience, to make sure you're not blindly heading into something dead as a doorknob.

Regarding the CTC scheme, I've yet do check out how exactly their recruitment process works, and if it is one of those ab initio deals, or where CPL holders (regardless of how they were trained) can still apply. I guess that hardest thing for me to get used to, is the way how differently recruitment operates in the EU vs US; considering that a lot of recruitment for airlines (as I have been lead to believe) is through integrated schemes by academies that supply their graduates to a specific carrier(s). Us foreign convertees seem to be part of a whole 'nother category that has to find it's own way to success to without the guidance of a program or airline.

It is tough to digest this, especially before you start training for something that will be very expensive and occasionally frustrating (the conversion) only to realize that even out of those few opportunities out there, graduates of more official programs will more likely have a paved way into filling those jobs. This being way more different than, as you probably know, the US, where (besides higher hour requirements) a person training at a small field has the same very good chance towards employment as a flight academy graduate (provided both meet the minimums). But then again, you've heard of people that have gotten in as you said, so we can always hope. There's also the possibility that should Europe one day experience a pilot shortage again, carriers will become more accommodating to fill those vacancies, and be less picky.

A few more questions for you if you don't mind; how do find flight instructing in Europe to be, in terms of enjoyment and pay? Although not as common of an avenue to take as in the US, is it still easier to find a FI job than an FO job? Will that extra experience and extra hours (although still on piston planes) be something that you feel will give you a better edge when you apply independently to an airline? You also mentioned splitting up parts of your flight training in Spain and Germany? How much did the CPL conversion cost you in the UK, and the MEIR in Spain? Have you any ideea how much would have the MEIR cost been if done in the UK?
In case I do need to "fractionalize" it's good to know it will be still on to your UK certificate, instead of having to transfer your license to each each state; does that sound like something that will remain valid with the EASA transition?
Appreciate that excellent flow of information from your experiences, once again