COROWACOMET
It seems I have offended you by providing a subjective opinion as to why your dream, and mine, are on distinctly shaky ground. For that I'm sorry but it is the truth as many people see it, including many pilots already in the major airlines.
You are correct in saying the above scenario will have an effect on all industries and GDP generally. But what you fail to understand is that some industries will prosper as the price of discretionary travel makes it prohibitive, freeing up funds for use elsewhere. Economies WILL adjust. In my opinion, the communications sector will boom, the entertainment industry will boom. And any form of transportation that can be readily converted to other energy sources will boom. This would include hybrid/LPG vehicles, as you have mentioned.
But all of this change will have its victims. At the forefront will be those industries with high and irreplaceable dependence on conventional oil products in the short to medium term. Number one in all of this is aviation. SARS, the Asian Economic Crisis, September 11, and each war in the Middle East have proved how vulnerable we are. I have seen and lived through all of this...just, but not without tears. At $200 per barrel the industry as we know it is well on the path to becoming history. And deep down I know that all those Wannabes with stars in their eyes are getting sold a pup, and will regret following their heart without tempering it with a bit of insurance coming from the brain.
Whenever you crew a flight anywhere, you always have an exit strategy or "funk hole". If you're going into aviation, I think you should have one with your career. WILLIAMOK is doing the right thing - follow your dream, but make sure you have a damn good backup plan.
And don't let the airlines and flying schools sell you a pup.
Once again, sorry to have an opinion that doesn't accord with your dreams, but in my experience life usually has its own script.
OI