Airflight69 and others aiming high
Take your time, get the experience and some real hours, take care to get trained to the right level to make your hour building really count. Beware the 3 year time limit for exams and IR because even if you get the IR in time to extend your exams to 7 years validity it may not be easy to get the hours etc for the full ATPL, Enjoy flying and learning - it is worthwhile, fun. exciting but can sometimes be converted to a repetitive procedural form of employment and you may not find this applies to you until you are in the RHS wishing you could do more than 30 deg bank and follow the checks and routines before the inevitable quick turnaraound whilst tired and maybe even stressed! The most fun in flying is not always in a big flying bus! Follow your dream but take care what you wish for.. I love my light aircraft flying, have never been ATPL but wanted to be for a long time. My FI work and private flying now provides the necessary fix... I love IMC and aeros too this is the most fun you can have without the huge investment with rewards that can only be estimated and not properly known until it might be too late?
PS My biggest love was aerial photography but there is not enough that I can get to do in the current climate for building/development.