Turboman why would you take out the highest paying end of the aviation industry and then compare the remainder to the highest paid cook, truck drivers and sparkies in Australia?
In every industry there are a small % who earn many times the average of their profession...the average electrician would not last 1 week in the mining industry...you think they pay that money out of the goodness of their hearts?
For those of you bemoaning the aviation industry, fecking GROW UP!!!!
No flying school gauranteed you anything. They merely gave you the training to reach the first rung and the rest is entirely up to you. If you're skilled enough, persistant enough and a little lucky you can reach the top rung and get paid very well...that top rung may not be in Australia. The top rung in Australia has only so much room...and is populated with pilots who were skilled, persistant and lucky, but started years before you. If you are not dedicated enough to seek high rungs where ever they are found, Asia, ME or darkest fecking Africa tough titty...no one cares that you were not dedicated enough so **** off and cry to someone else.
If money is all that motivates you I can absolutely gaurantee you of one thing though...you will never be happy because you will not have the dedication and fascination with your chosen career to stick at it long enough to end up good enough to make use of the luck when it crosses your path.
There are only so many positions available at the top of any industry...not everyone makes it to the top...does the average GP get paid the same as a Brain Surgeon, the average singer get paid the same is a top star, the average actor get paid the same as George Clooney, the average lawyer get paid the same as a QC?
The only difference is there is not a Professional Entertainers Rumour Network where the 98% of 'failed' actors/singers can come and bitch in between waiting tables and doing the odd advert/backing track singing they get paid scale for.
The one thing remains true though...successful, happy people love their jobs and would do them as a hobby if they couldn't do them as a job...their dedication and fascination for their jobs takes them to places they never invisaged when they started out...and that
might be the top rungs of their profession.
To suggest flying schools should deliberately run down the industry is just rediculous...what person running a business would do that and destroy his business...what % of stary eyed young pilot hopefulls would listen? They would quite correctly assume that CFI was an idiot and take their money elsewhere....the flying school across the road.