Apologies if things went a little off-thread, although it IS definitely useful to be able to explain (particularly if you're applying for one of these schemes as one of the older candidates) why you didn't begin some sort of training at an earlier point. At the interview stage they will almost certainly ask why it's taken so long, why you elected to go and study (or work, or travel, or whatever), and what have you done to further your career and show your interest in becoming a pilot. If you clearly haven't thought this through then I can't imagine you'd get beyond that point. It would probably become apparent quite quickly if you had applied on a whim and couldn't show a genuine interest in or knowledge of aviation, so really you'd think that candidates for sponsored schemes are going to have to demonstrate the reasoning behind whichever approach they've taken up until this point.
Have I dragged it back on-topic?
