Bora,bora..............it used to be perfectly feasible to get a licence for £17k,mine cost about £20k.It was called the hours building route......
I sense alot of snobbery in some of these posts.Yes,none of us who wish to fly would choose to end up refuelling/pushing planes about or working as a baggage handler -but you have to be realistic,I spent some time covered in oil with light a/c and manhandling them into hangars- I now fly the 757 but do not look down on those who do !
And to be honest I feel greatly for our engineers night after night in the pissing rain fixing the machines when I am sitting on my arse reading the express and eating crew food on my way to tenerife.
I sense there are alot of people on this site who are in love with the idea of being a pilot,not the reality ,might I suggest you get your rears down to an airport and talk to some of the bedraggled charter crews for a reality check !!