Well. Nice story, congrats.
I´ll update my own story in a few months time when I have actually passed the B733 course and am online (not counting chickens etc.).
However in brief terms I did the whole thing - zero to RHS jet - for 16.5 thousand pounds.
Here´s how.
Join the Air Cadets and get sent solo in a motor glider at age 16. Be keener than mustard and get asked to stay on as a staff cadet. Stay keen as mustard and get asked to become a volunteer instructor with them.
At the same time get sponsored by the Air Force and also get a flying scholarship. Use the money from the former to upgrade the latter into a PPL. MAintain the PPL by flying as a volunteer flying instructor at the weekends with the Air Cadets.
Got to Uni now and join the UAS and again be as keen as mustard and get lots of very very high quality hours in. At the end of Uni get a boring graduate job for two years, live at home, and save 16 thousand pounds.
Whilst doing second year of boring graduate job start studying the ATPL exams via distance learning. Use holidays from job to take exams and as soon as you pass them quit.
Quit instructing as a volunteer for the air cadets and go do a BCPL and IMC course costing you 6k. Persuade the CAA to count your volunteer Air Cadet Instructing towards the issue of a civvy AFI rating at about 300 quid cost for the test.
You´ve now been out of work for 8 weeks and have spent just shy of 9k on exams and a BCPL IMC AFI. Immediately walk into an instructing job back at home which you have been lining up for the last 3 years. Do that for a year get to 1000hrs and then do an Instrument and Multi Engine rating costing 6 grand plus 1 grand for accom and ratings issue.
Next get a job with a large Flying College and earn a proper salary and lifestyle (somewhere near the Med if possible
Do that for a year and then start applying for airline jobs - after all, you are teaching their baby pilots how to fly!
Get airline job. You´ve spent 16.5k (I kept ALL the bills from day one) and have earned from instructing about 30k gross. Take out living expenses and beer money and you´ve come out about even. No debt, 1500 odd hrs and an airline job. Payback was 2 years and was only out of work for 8 weeks.
Met some great people and made some lifelong friends. Obviously a major thanks goes to Liz for getting me started for nothing.
It can be done.
WWW