Civvy & Thing - Are these youngsters you talk about going into General Aviation? Or are they looking at progressing to the heavy metals?
Mostly the latter; but whichever way you look at it, they are youngsters with a passion for flying. No one at their age takes out a loan for the sort of money you need for an APTL without being totally commited.
BUT - this is not to mean that older, fifties ish people may not become smitten with general aviation, and get involved!
As they indeed do. I was a glider pilot for years before I could afford, and I mean afford as in not just doing the minimum hours to keep the licence going but being able to afford to go flying regularly, to do my powered licence. I'm not in any way shape or form wealthy, I just give up some things to afford my flying and I think the majority of pilots in the UK are the same as me.
One fifties ish friend of mine has started his PPL purely down to the few pax trips he's had with me.