Aviation may not be for everyone, one or two employers over 40 year career is rare these days . There will be a shortage of current and type rated pilots soon , 18 months as a part time sim instructor might get you in the door of 737 operator in Middle East or SE Asia when this sim operation fails ? I think there will be lots of training required in the medium future from small OS operators so it might turn out to be a good investment?
lastly 18 months might be perfect for a retired airline captain paying off 3 ex’s and gets him through to his first heart attack or better still give him reason to get out of bed and improve his health .
Let’s not argue against investment in aviation infrastructure even if you think it’s not economically viable in todays market .