A sense of perspective
The non-cadet wannabees and especially the 'late starters' should thing long and hard before throwing all they have at a pilot career. I struggle to think of any other career path where a self funded training of £100k doesn't guarantee a job at the end of it.
At the age of 25 I decided to abandon my day job in industry. Some eighteeen months later I had a CPL, IR, had passed the ATPL and Perf A, but I had no luck in securing even an interview with an airline. After some months, I realised that these qualifications were only a start, and the propect of spending more money to earn almost nothing as an instructor wasn't really an attractive prospect.
Conversely, it was straightforward to go back to an engineering career in mobile comms. I worked another year in England, then nine years in South Africa, Jordan, Lebanon, Czech, Brazil, Sweden before returning to the UK. And being paid >£100k all the while. I flew in all those countries, bar Jordan, often flying myself to jobs. And flying was far less restricted in all those countries, except for Lebanon.
It's now 22 years since that CPL was issued, and the idea of being an airline pilot no longer appeals - unsociable hours, uncertain leave dates, these would all be parts of the job that I can see would not be conducive to good health and harmonious family life. Once kids come along, these things really matter.
Don't misunderstand me, I really enjoyed the flying training. I still love to fly - PA34 and anything single engine, and I know I'm a much more capable pilot now than I was then. The IR renewal still works me harder than anything else I do all year. But airlines are an Operation, where's the Creativity in that? And surely the risk of failing the medical rises with age, what would one's options be if the Class 1 was lost?
In summary, with age, my business head understands that ultimately one should invest energy into the career where one can make most returns. The head should overrule the heart. It's insane to believe that spending £100k on training will automatically lead to a well paid airline job. The mere fact that this situation exists should tell you that the market is oversupplied with applicants.
To all those more mature people that are considering a career change, concentrate on what you are best at. Ulimately any job can be tedious, so don't waste time and effort trying to jump ship.
Oh, has anyone analysed divorce statistics for pilots? Surely it's higher than the general population? Is that a price worth paying?
Sorry if this comes over as a rant. I just want to advise any one to think long and hard before jeopardising their family, or remortgaging their house.