Well if you have been mentoring him since 16 and he is 24 with no college and planning to be an airline pilot then you have been doing a piss poor mentoring job. Hahahah......just kidding lol. At 24 he needs to get some college done, lots of options in the US for online courses....git er done. Buzzing of to the desert is career cop out. Good luck though.
Edit to say....Henrydog....brilliant post.