A very good friend of mine had a mate working in the same Essex factory 25 years ago...he gambled his money on a license...I thought good luck as he was in his late 30s...at the time I was at the top of the legacy carrier profession...
He went through LOCO onto exec jets onto a rich man's pilot....
now semi retired...big house, heated swimming pool, nice set of wheels.....works if he feels the need....
It is still out there...you need a bit of luck, a bit of skill and a lot of integrity and hard work.