Well considering alot of airlines are trying to offer voluntary redudancy and unpaid leave to various management, I wouldn't bank on airline management as some 'safe' bet.
If you want some sound fiscal advice, learn an in-demand trade, eventually get your own little business and fly for fun!
But... As we all know the heart can rule over the head, so if you are intent on doing it for a living I would suggest maybe having a lesson or two to see if it actually is for you, then doing your Class One medical to make sure nothing can stop you health wise.
There is no easy route into this game, you can either stump up the 60k+ via a bank loan and go for an integrated course, with an aim to be taken on after leaving direct into the RHS.
Or go modular, spend half as much, take longer (depending on your finances and availability for training) and apply to airlines, flightschools and everything and anything that involves flying an aeroplane for a living.
There are many pitfalls, and I know from personal experience of people who have failed and quit at the first JAA exams, and people who have failed and quit at the end of their line training in an airline, and every other stage inbetween.
Given the rate of cadets being dumped into the job market with 150hrs, you need to differentiate yourself from the others. Be it all first time passes, some background in aviation, an honours degree, anything that can make an airline recruiter pick you and not the next candidate.
Being tagged to an airline can help, and this generally happens through the integrated route, but don't count this as some kind of security, just ask the thomsonfly cadets from Jerez.
Sponsorship is more or less a thing of the past, RVL/Highland Airways being probably the only ones left that I can think of. The Government won't help either so you really do have to go it alone in the training world.
AND remember it's never in the bag until the ink's dry on your final line check report, and even then, standards must be maintained to the required level!
It takes time, effort, dedication, money and some degree of luck to make it into the RHS, and if your only 16, it's a long way to go yet, the youngest guy I know of was 18 when he joined GB, but that's the exception and not the norm.
It's a fantastic career, and sitting at 35,000 feet makes you realise it was worth it, but go into it with open eyes and dedication and hopefully you'll be one of the ones warming a seat on the flightdeck of some type or other
Atreyu
