As someone trying to do the journey who's a few years older than you but further along the way, this is what I would tell my 16 year old self.
If you want it, do it, the younger you are the easier it is. I read pprune and elsewhere as an 18 year old reading doom and gloom and it benefitted me naught, I just lost a few years wasting time. Ignore the doomsdayers.
Start as early as you can and while you're living at home pour your money into training. Aim to at least have PPL by the time you finish school.
Relying on getting into a cadetship could prove fruitless when they get huge numbers of applicants with relatively few hired. The GA stream is easier to tolerate if you're younger and if you're at an airline by 25 you'd still be happy.
Originally Posted by
Tee Emm
The best training as a pilot you will ever get and yet you are frightened of a commitment to help defend your country
Young people turn on the tv and ask if they really want to put their life in the hands of a Turnbull or Shorten. Sure they'll come to your funeral after you get shot down over Syria 'defending the country' but most aren't thrilled with that prospect.