The word desperate is the key. If that's how you feel, you have to try but don't destroy yourself in the process - there's no rush with the market the way it is right now. Can you keep working part-time and do the training part time? Be strict with yourself, maybe OATS does have some advantages (often debated), but don't pay the industry's premium prices with 100% borrowed money - that's crazy. (Having said that, I think their full time ground school is the business, I'd go there just for the ground school bit).
I love flying (just fATPL right now) but I absolutely would not get that far into debt to do it. I'd set myself a very strict rule not to borrow more than 50% of the money needed to pay for training - say 25k (that's still a decent deposit on a house in most parts of the country). So what if it takes a little longer.
I'd also try (and I mean really hard) to get into the CTC McAlpine - ab-initio training scheme as there's a job already waiting at the end of it.
Good luck, let us know what you decide!
p.s. Frantic Flyer - I used to work in the City and then on Wall St myself (Goldman Sachs). What's all that about 9-5? Is that one of those part-time paternity benefit positions I've heard about???
