1) 31
2)self financed/loaned/stolen/worked in the game and borrowed some more.
3)PPL at age 18, long break to 2003, full time flight school student till it collapsed
,CPL, Instructor Rating, Parachute Drop, Malawi charter boy for a few months, more instructing, initial VFR turbine twin job (2 stints in Africa)
, more instructing, more study, more instructing and just about had enough to tell the truth.
Best tip I can give you, go away and become a doctor/dentist/lawyer and buy yourself a warbird to play with on the weekends.
RPP