stansdead, no I wasn't calling you pathetic. That was aimed at the "I wanna fly a jet" mob.
There is nothing unfortunate about flying a turboprop. It's an airliner and you fly it from one airport to another. Just like an Airbus. It doesn't matter in the slightest what form of propulsion it uses.
The problem is that the few jobs that are out , available to newbies, where you don't have to pay for everything are more than likely on a turboprop. So why are people paying to fly a jet?
13thstage, apologies for misinterpreting your post. And I agree that the potential money at Ryanair is better but there is nothing wrong with working your way up like we used to. It all adds to your experience bag dunnit?!