No bank is going to lend substantial amounts of money on an unsecured basis to fund pilot training given the uncertainties, attrition rate and risks involved. This is perfectly sensible when you think about it.
The majority of CPL students I have come across at my local school (modular) are:
1. young guys from well-off backgrounds whose parents are supporting them through training;
2. Others, usually a bit older, who have established careers and can fund the training from their earnings and savings. I am in category 2.
You're correct to assume that the very young students in category 1 tend to come from well-off backgrounds. Given the amounts of funding involved it is true to say that having well off parents is a major advantage in the flying training game. Category 2 is more of a mixture, but goes without saying that you need to be on a decent income to fund flying training after paying for living/housing costs etc.
Given the current (poor) jobs market, and your age, there is no rush. As a starting point I would focus on getting a job to get some cash coming in and doing a PPL. Once you have a PPL you will be in an informed position as to whether you want to continue training. At that point you can either apply for mentored integrated schemes, or progress down the modular route at your own pace.
You will also have a backup plan in case you decide flying isn't for you for whatever reason, or fail the medical.
This is the route I'm taking, funding training from earnings and avoiding debt at every stage. The modular versus integrated debate is a whole other question, which you can read about in detail on other threads, but doing what you can to minimise risk and keeping your options as open as possible seems a sensible way forward.
Last edited by taxistaxing; 13th October 2012 at 12:29.