At the risk of giving credibility to this wind up, lets just point out a few facts.
1. The majority of airline pilots in the UK paid for their own training.
2. Affordability is relative. Spread a loan over a long time and it becomes more affordable, even if you end up paying more back.
3. The majority of UK airline pilots who were self improvers had some form of loan to complete their training.
4. Blueskyrich mentions it's the biggest risk that many of us will make. In the big scheme of things I'd say the biggest risk I ever took was as a teenager when I stupidly ran across a road and nearly got hit by a fast moving car. This is a big financial risk, but won't directly kill you. Arguably, getting your first mortgage (a similar amount) is just as risky, especially if you buy at the hieght of the market.....been there, done that.
5. Yes, first flying jobs (non-jet especially) tend to be low paying, but, with experience and a determination to progress you can see your salary double from the £20k mentioned within 3 to 4 years. Done that, as have many, many others.
6. It's Darwin's theory again. There will be those who will make it and those who won't. It's down to determination and a will to not give up, despite the setbacks.
7. Wannabes are more aware than ever just how difficult qualification and employment in this industry are. A great deal of the credit for making this information available to them must go to this website. Those who decide to go ahead and train with this knowledge show a marked level of stupidity, sorry, determination! And we all know which ones get the jobs.......it's not the stupid ones.
8. There are those who are ill advised to pursue such a career, we've all come across them during our training and all you can do is sit and wonder how they will ever get employed. Thank God we do not live in a (completely) nanny state and these people have the freedom to do what they wish to do. Sites like this highlight the risks, but it's an individuals choice to borrow and spend, just like in any other walk of life. Why should aviation training be any different?
Keep the perspective and the determination Wannabes.
PP