@KRUSTY
thanks for taking the time to field that one for me. i agree with you completely and your comments re: overly ambitious cadets, is an aspect i've been warned of from day one.
i am however in this for the career, spending the last 4 years working like a dog to pay the rent and save up for my private, well, 5 years of a fresh job flying around Australia, sounds all right to me. even if i have to sell a small portion of my soul
my ultimate dream is to get involved with the RFDS eventually and establish myself in country Aus away from the cities.
i have interviews with Rex in Wagga next week and thanks to the posts of yourselves and others that i have read on pprune i will be making a much more informed decision with a much better understanding of the risks involved.
thank you all for the posts. i am a newbie to pprune but all ready see it as being a fantastic resource. cheers