When, Genghis the Engineer, you say that there are other options, and airline piloting is potentially the worst for me ( I do love aviation) what other jobs would you recommend? (Open to anyone...)
- Full time instructor (aeroplane, microlight, helicopter)
- Air taxi / charter
- (Helicopter) Pilot: possibly SAR, North Sea, police
- (What I do): aviation boffin combining research and flying work
- Fishery patrol
- Specialist aviation support (coastguard, surveying, calibration, BAS, missionary)
- Plus the many military flying jobs. Fighters, SAR, transport
Personally, I'd rather do just about any of those rather than fly scheduled airline service. But that's just me of-course.
Each may require some specific experience or interests in addition to the relevant licence(s) - but at 16, you have the time to pursue any of these, so long as you also have the basic ability and determination. I decided at about your age that I wanted to work in the technical side of aerospace, and about 20 refined that to test flying. I have, and I do - and trust me, I'm really not that bright, nor that blessed with fantastic flying abilities - what I do have is a lot of determination.,
G