My experience
Here is my experience, I tried, I failed.
I'm 41 now. I had this brilliant idea myself, i started the flight training at 37 to change my career and work as a pilot.
PPL, then atpl theory, then cpl ir me in a very famous (and expensive) UK flight school.
Everything went fine, 92% ATPL results, first time pass for practical exam, MCC, JOC.... English icao level 6.
My english was poor when I started. When the teachers were making jokes, I was laughing to not sound retarded, but it took me a few month to get it....
as you can read it, I'm the new Shakespeare now.
A very nice work really. It took me 3 years for the whole process. And I'm still proud for what I've achieved.
I liked the theory, except air law and ops, awful.
My time building in the usa was awesome. I went from the west coast to the east coast in a piper 28, alone, sleeping sometimes in FBos, sometimes in hotels... Did some low pass over wild horses in Arizona, stopped a few nights in Texas for the music, landed in las vegas international with 80 hrs Total time !
Epic
Then the CPL IR in UK, in winter....real IMC flying.
Well, I enjoyed it. Then with my nice blue professional pilot license, I tried to get a job !
It won't be easy, I know, but I have good reports from my flight school, good recommendations, i speak fluently 3 languages, i have friends in the industry, it should work.
Well this was 2 years ago, and I still didn't get the chance to have an interview!
Not talking about a job, but just an interview ! Even from the crap companies that make you pay for an interview, they don't want to see me...
Some companies say no to my letters, CV, online applications, etc...but usually they just say nothing.
In my previous job, I was comfortable, things were easy, I was on the job for 15 years, people knew me, I had a status and respect.
As an unemployed pilot, things are a bit different...
After a year and a half of "online job hunting" for nothing, i decided to give it a try in Africa. I was used to Africa from my previous job. Same story there, you need 500hrs on type. Either for a 737, a beech or a C172, same rule, 500 hrs on type. Spent 2 months over there, quite an adventure as well, I could write a book...
Back in Europe now, "internet job hunting" .... Lovely...
I have no loan, i had the money for the training. My wife has a great job, i'm ok...
There will be a position available in my previous company in a few months, in a lovely place in Europe. I will take it (they like me a lot!) and stop with this aviation story. Next month I will renew my IR-ME (800€ again) for the last time.
Don't have the money or the motivation for a p2F theme. Don't want to be a part of this con.
Now that I'm here, would I do it again ?
I don't know. As crazy as it sounds, I would say yes. It would have been worst to never try I think. But I will always feel bitter entering an airport, seeing the planes, the staff...
The worst feeling is that I know that I would have done the job properly, with dedication and professionalism, and i would have loved it.
In my next life maybe.