Forget the research. Nobody can predict the future. G SXTY has summed things up very well. You have to decide if you wish to gamble, because that is what it is, your cash and 18 months of your life to prepare for a market that may no longer exist. And consider this, even if you get a job in an airline, the initial (net, after loan and training repayments, etc.) pay is now so little you may not be looking at a useful income for a three or four years after you start training. Can your family afford that? And this is the "up side". Now consider the "down side". If you get to the end of the training all you will have is a a few pieces of paper and a severe lack of cash. But unlike most unemployed pilots, you will at least have a worthwhile skill.