Errrm, he doesn't have a job, and I doubt he will be earning £50,000 a year after tax any time soon! In any case I know many people who worked throughout training. I also know plenty of people who have gone far without paying for their own type rating up-front, and without committing to it until they have a job offer, probably 80-90% of the people I know who have trained in the last 10 years. So we are back below the £50k mark.