Yes, I would
If that is what he wants to do.
1. Salaries - where are they not being squeezed?
2. Work hours - where are they getting shorter?
3. Pensions - thing of the past in most jobs too. Blame the Government. Who else offers final salary now except one or two large companies who are considering closing them too?
4. Disciplinary - Have you tried referring to a female as a "lady" in an office environment - it is insulting aparrently. As is holding the door for someone who is female as we were all told not to (in an office). We live in a litigious society, it happens everywhere.
5. Going bust - airlines always have done, during the last gulf war, the depression before and the depression before that. Major airlines are beginning to recruit, BA even some fATPL holders, so all is not lost.
6. CPL and no job - always a risk, minimise it by getting an aptitude test done etc. It is likely that plumbers will not be able to get jobs soon.
50K+ is a lot of cash, so it takes preparation and thinking about and is not an easy descision. You need backup plans.
What are the alternatives? Assuming your relative is a switched on chap, then what else would he prefer to do? Sit on the ground and regret all his life?
Let see (slightly tounge in cheek)
Law - difficult to get a really decent job and you have to be surrounded by lawyers and generally nasty people all day.
Engineering - no money in it, and you face being shipped out to the far east
City - large chance of redundancy (greater than airlines I reckon) and DULL DULL DULL!
the list goes on....
Seriously there are some great jobs out there. My descision was to go flying as I could fly and then do something else if I wanted, but couldn't do something else and then fly. I made the right descision for me and am very glad. I am off sick right now, I really miss work and want to get back as soon as I can, how many jobs can you say that about?