I left school when I was 17 (am 32 today) and became a Carpenter, and worked as such for almost 8 years. Then I joined the army and did various other jobs as well, and I have never been back to school since the 9 th grade either.
I took a PPL when I was 26 just to see if it was for me. When I then wanted to become professional pilot I was told by the flying schools that I wasn't qualified for Integrated course, so I took it as modular. I passed faster and with better grades than most of the integrated i studied with, became a GA pilot on piston and props for 4 years and am today doing my second jet-rating (Airbus) joining a good company. I was amongst the 4 out of 14 in my class that got a job (by hard work), and the others all had much more education than me. (The clever guys had to buy their own jet-ratings and hours to get into business)
And all I ever had to pay was a half King Air rating just after 9/11. (And I swapped that bill with building a rooftop for the instructor).
Being a worker with the right attitude to hard work can bring you far in this business. It's those affraid of working hard that will have to buy their way to the top with expencive ratings. Educated or not!!
Looking back, I would never wish to come into this business without having been on the "real" jobmarket first, and am ever so happy about the path I have been following. More school wouldn't have made anything easier for me in the long run.
Just hang in there
