I’m sure that last bit was tongue in cheek, and I’m sure you know that there’s a lot more to it than just money, but just in case anyone thinks a large enough cheque is all you need to get into a right hand seat – it isn’t.
You can have all the money in the world, the 3 most important things are still commitment, commitment and commitment. When you’ve just missed out on sponsorship schemes, or had qualifying cross-country flights postponed 14 times in a row, or arrived at a flight school 3,000 miles from home only to find it was shut down the day before, or spent months studying for written exams that often bear little relation to real-world flying – you’ll need to call on deep reserves of commitment. And I haven’t even mentioned trying to find your first job . . .
I’m sure it’s worth it in the end - otherwise I wouldn’t put up with it all – but many, many people decide it’s not for them. I was told, by someone who should know, that around 90% of wannabes who start out with the dream of being a commercial pilot will never make it.
Not trying to put you off – just make sure you know what you’re getting into!