Parkfell, Alex, and Paco are all so right,
'88 was my peak year in the training system and it really was a case of demand far exceeding supply. 20 applications and 19 interviews plus a Leeds based airline called Capital offering to pay for my IR.
However, I'm not writing to piss people off but add context to considerations regarding present day return on investment. My first job was on a jet for a very minor company beginning in Feb 1989 and my basic salary was £25,000. That would pay off a full mortgage with minimum deposit for a 3 bed North London semi in two years.
In reality I bought a terrace in scouseland for 12.5K. Experienced pilots warning you about present terms and conditions are not bluffing or trying to put you off. They've seen years of you guys arriving for courses and line training with colossal debt at a time in your lives where, all too soon, it's natural and normal for your life away from the aircraft to also become more expensive.
Think choice of aircraft through very carefully - is the DA cockpit actually totally alien to real commercial flightdecks? Are the basic skills in something like a Seneca a grounding that might help keep you away from the type of air transport accidents that dominate the statistics now?
Rob