The Long Road (Short Version)
My road started in England after I failed the 11+ and was told that I could only be a blue collar worker. No GCE then for secondary school students, so not many options.
Joined the RAF as Boy Entrant Airframe and after service worked at BAC on Concorde. BAC was affiliated with Bristol and West Flying club and for 9 pounds an hour I got my PPL. (Before you think 9 pounds cheap I was only gettin 21 pounds as an Inspector and that included 30% night shift allowance)
Sold all I had and headed to US with 300 pounds.
Arrived in NY in December 70 and had a Greyhound bus ride to California. ( The only good part of the bus ride was carnal knowledge of my first US female somewhere between Ohio and ? ) " I just love your accent" , anyway I digress.
Gained CPL (A) at Sierra Academy in Oakland and ran out of money.
Took a job as a mechanic in a local hangar ($2.50 per hour), managed 50 apartments and painted apartments in my spare time.
1973 and forward saw a downturn in pilots and the fuel shortage was looming.
Along came a guy from Bristows who had arrived in Oakland to hire helicopter pilots ( Jack Brannan ) get your helicopter licence he says, we will hire you as soon as you arrive back on the old sod.
Well worked at the local school (Astrocopters) for pennies but one weeks work would get me one hour of flight time. Following my CPL(H) I worked and scrounged a hundred hours and went back home cap in hand.
Bristow then proceeded to tell me that I needed a UK CPL. Well I had hitch hiked to Redhill so I can assure you their was noooooo money.
With my last 3 pounds 10 shillings I place an add in the sponsership section of Flight International. 7 days later I was waiting for a validation on my FAA licence so I could fly for a company in Northhampton.
Well the rest is history and here we are 40 years later, 14,000+ and still loving it.
For you young guys coming up, never loose track of your goals, they are achievable if you want them bad enough. Times can be tough, but you can make it happen.
Like I said this is the short version, a lot happened along the way to get me here today, but that maybe is for a later date.