I love flying, but my mind is now on getting my instructors ticket and setting up a flying school, which would be a lot more fun overall. More sociable, and potentially more profitable.
As an aside, does anybody know what an FTO must do in order to provide integrated training? OAT, I’ve got u in my sights.
That's a little hypocritical is it not? You start off your post by questioning why people would want to spend the money undergoing such training, and then announce your intention to "cash in" on the market.
I am currently in integrated training. My reasons for pursuing this career are varied, however I do have a love for flying (Yes, I hold a PPL and thoroughly enjoy it), but I'd rather be doing it for a living and seeing the world at the same time. Granted flying commercially is different from GA flying, but it is possible to still do both. Also, not all commercial operations involve flying on autopilot. (Suppose it should fail - wouldn't you rather someone was at the front?).
Your comment about people wishing to fly airlines to improve their status is, in my opinion, unfounded. Everyone I've met in the industry is dedicated to their work; those in training are committed to achieving the best results they can. I doubt anyone who was purely doing it for the "status" would have the motivation and drive to get through the training, let alone find a job.
As for running your own FTO - It takes years to build up a good solid reputation and to make any sort of profit. Somehow, I doubt you'll be challenging any of the big FTO's for a long time to come. However, I wish you the best of luck