The training was undoubtedly a slog and I made a couple of wrong decisions with regards suitable FTO's which made the whole process more drawn out and painful.... at the time.
Now servicing a large debt and working as an instructor which on the whole I enjoy and still feel privilaged to be doing everyday at a school with decent people and decent customers...
The lure of the airlines has so far stayed at bay due to the fact I seriously doubt I could service my debt and afford to survive off a new FO salary away from home - the maths don't add up - for good or for worse....
Due to my involvement with GA various different GA job offers fall my way from time to time which, so far I have resisted because I enjoy instructing and want to excel to some degree before I move on. But needs must....
I find myself realising I need more money but the whole airline pilot thing to be just a job, I see fellow flyers dissatisfied in their airline but putting on brave faces to save face.
The only attraction towards the airlines for me personally would be the thrill of flying a bigger aeroplane which seems hardly enough to shell out for a TR and to endure what might *possibly* become a miserable existance as a line pilot at a typical ThriftyJet.
It's crossroads for me right now.
However, to get back on track - when I think about what I may have done had I not decided to become a commercial pilot (of sorts) I realise my life may have been more prosperous financially but I feel certain I would not be half the person I am today, would not have had half the amazing experiences I've had, would not have met half the number of strange and interesting people, and would not have had any sense of contentment with any other job.
In short - the journey so far has been an amazing life experience that few people in life can appreciate unless they've been there themselves. For that, I can never feel regret only a sense of personal achievement despite the financial cost.
So, would VFE do it all again? Yes. But, with the small proviso that parts of my training would've been completed elsewhere. Although I may not be doing too well financially I am happy at work and seeing as we all spend most our waking hours at work that is a big thing as far as I'm concerned.
When I started out wanting to be a pilot I only had one option to get there and that was to borrow and altho it now causes the most grief in my personal life because I see friends doing things with their money that I can only dream of, I still realise how lucky I am to be flying everyday and being paid enough to service my debt. These days I am not getting any further into debt, which is positive, and the debt I do have is getting smaller so it's all moving in the right direction. In the meantime I'm doing something I really enjoy. I could be a shelf stacker in Tesco with a gambling addiction but instead I fly everyday and tollerate the financial downside. Money is never the be-all and end-all in life.
The grass is always greener on the other side - be grateful for where you're at cuz tomorrow you might be dead.
VFE.