I took the long road....working in a boatshed, glue factory and then drove taxis while getting my PPL, CPL subjects and the required command time over a 3 year period before my father, having seen how hard I worked to that point, offered to gaurantee a loan to finish it off quick. I borrowed 11K and in 3-4 months had my CPL and Instructor Rating while still driving cabs a few days a week.
The entire time I was living out of home paying rent and all of life's usual expenses.
I was debt free within two years of finishing it having got my first job in PNG within 12 mths of finishing my CPL/Instructor rating...I had also paid cash for my Instrument Rating and got married in that time.
I had my TIF in January 1981, CPL in '85, debt free with IR and 1100 hrs (500+ MEC) in Dec '87.
In contrast my best mate, and the Best man at my wedding, had a FW and RW CPL/IR paid for by dad and now is a gaurd on suburban trains in Sydney....despite me offering him several jobs over the years.
Another mate who had his CPL/Instructor Rating (all done by 18), paid for by Daddy, when I was still a Restricted PPL, still only had 200 hrs 5 years later when I offered him a job....I think the first time I ever flew outside the BK training area he was in the RHS although it wasn't a navex...he was staying at my place on the first part of his round Oz trip looking for a job...without success. 5 years later I was his CP and did his initial TW endorsement on a C185 in PNG and later did his BN2 type rating before I headed off to Talair.
Last I heard he was flying Kingairs.
One of my best mates son has just left school and has expressed interest in flying for a living. Interestingly when offered the RHS in my Bonanza he declined and was happy sitting in the back
His dad and I just looked at one another....seems young people these days are not as out of control enthusiastic as we were at their age...I cannot begin to comprehend turning an offer like that down when I was 18
In discussing this recently we both agreed that paying for his licences up front would be doing no-one any favours...although dad could afford to do so. I think he will be following the path of his father and I...his dad worked tuna boats to pay his own way through.
He will need to prove he has the intestinal fortitude by getting his PPL, ATPL subjects and the 100hrs PIC before dad guarantees a loan for the rest. He is luckier than 99% of kids in that he will have a good job straight after he finishes, flying in the SWP for the domestic side of the airline his dad flys for....but the (much smaller) loan will be his to pay off in whatever time frame.
My daughter shows no interest in flying at all but if she did I would be doing it the same way...although she could log time in my Bonanza for the cost of fuel once she had a PPL...It's natural to want to give our children every help but in doing so we miss out on giving them one of life's most important lessons...That life is hard and hard work is required to succeed.
Our kids of course will not be booted out the door at 18 as we were...they can live at home cheaply while getting their qualifications....I think that is enough of a helping hand.