Unless you have VERY rich parents, getting your parents to sacrifice 30/40 years of hard work is perhaps the most selfish thing anyone can do, especially when there is a recession on!
Honestly, I don't want to start a cat fight here, but who would hire you when you (and others) make decisions such as this?
Exactly what I have said in the past and I would maintain that. Though I will accept perhaps I have been a little too 'direct'...... So I'll try and be a little nicer, here it goes......
Jimmbo, your question shows good fore-thought and shows you do have some care within you and for that you should be commended. Not least because of this comment:
I find it a bit disconcerting that the only people advocating training at the moment are those going through selection. Are there any trained/training pilots who would consider now a suitable time as any other to enter training? Espeically with the extra 9 grand looming if I did decide to delay my entry.
I would personally recommend as said above, do the selection and keep it in the bag. In the meantime start working, if you aren't already, and pay as you go doing your PPL. Ensure you
REALLY do love flying and you actually do have some aptitude for it. Also get your class 1 medical nice and early to make sure all this heartache isn't for nothing. It really isn't a waste having a PPL if you do join an integrated course as you can get credit for the hours and some rebate on the finances. And you help the food chain by generating a little business for Flying Instructors (which I am not), so everyone is happy. For someone absolutely set on becoming a career pilot
RIGHT NOW and who doesn't have an endless bag of cash, I can't recommend a PPL enough for all the reasons above.
Now is quite possibly one of the worst times in the history of aviation to train to be an airline pilot, second only to starting anywhere from 12-15 months ago. That is the unfortunate reality. I certainly, really wouldn't recommend securing any loan above £30000 on your parents home, it is VERY, VERY dangerous. There or below the debt is going to be manageable with the average salary and living at home.
If your parents are that willing to commit and they do have enough equity have they considered remortgaging? The repayments would be alot less. I really don't know how viable that is though.
My head, my heart, my gut and my experience all tell me that this is not the time to be embarking on an integrated course.