Using case 1 - In say 10 years you could be a Captain in a decent jet job assuming your initial Airline was a success, stable, etc.
I am presently witnessing ex-cadet command promotions at the 6.5 year mark. This typically coincides with the conclusion of training loan attrition. A big jump in net income for those successful ex-cadets. You can never tell what is waiting around the corner, but I would expect to see this time interval fall to around 5 years over the next 24-36 months.