1. People who are advising young fresh blood into flight training during the biggest World pandemic in recent history are delusional.
2. There are thousands of experienced unemployed and furloughed pilots in Europe alone. They will be hired first. Period.
3. The senior leaders in aviation have made it clear that the good times are over and changes will need to be made.
4. Do not trust the flight schools. They are a business (on a ticking time bomb) and they need cash flow to survive. As a business with a seriously low influx of new blood, they will say anything to get you through the door. As I speak, a large French school has just gone bust. They have been training pilots for decades. Time to wake up and get in touch with reality.
5. You do not start training in a downturn. That is the most ridiculous statement I have ever read. Just like you do not invest in a recession. No one truly knows where the bottom is and it could get worse before it gets better.
6. Make sure you have a backup career.
7. Find a wife or girlfriend outside of aviation so when you're facedown in regret, he or she can support you. The industry faces a downturn every 10 years.
8. The airlines are not your friend. They are actually the opposite. They have an agenda to make money and have no loyalty to you regardless of how senior you are. Seniority means nothing if it doesn't suit the airline.
9. Do not pay for a type rating. A prostitute would not pay a client to better her mouth skills. Don't be worse than prostitutes.
10. There are no guarantees in life. Be ready to spend huge amounts on any investment in life and see no return.