Our son wants to be an airline pilot... I have some questions :)
T Father,
All good advice and food for thought from the previous reply's.
Have you or your son given any thought to the US route? I took that route back in 1971 and I was able to achieve my goals in both fix wing and helicopters over a 50 year career. Take a look at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, just another option for both of you. Just to sound like a broken record: Get a medical first!!! Also bear in mind that some medical problems can be overcome with both waivers and acceptable medications so don't total throw away your dreams.
The very very best of luck to your son.
All good advice and food for thought from the previous reply's.
Have you or your son given any thought to the US route? I took that route back in 1971 and I was able to achieve my goals in both fix wing and helicopters over a 50 year career. Take a look at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, just another option for both of you. Just to sound like a broken record: Get a medical first!!! Also bear in mind that some medical problems can be overcome with both waivers and acceptable medications so don't total throw away your dreams.
The very very best of luck to your son.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be a professional pilot, but as people have pointed out, it’s not without it’s issues, particularly the debt incurred. If the boy just wants to fly, then it might be worth just doing the PPL and flying for fun. Flying when he wants to and not when he has to. Flying when the weather is nice and not miserable. He’ll still be a pilot and no one will think less of him because he doesn’t fly large jets.
Even with a PPL, you can achieve quite a bit when you have instrument and multi engine ratings.
As he is already going down the PPL route, I would recommend an intensive course, somewhere the weather is nice. I went to Texas to learn and did the course in three weeks. It would have taken months in the UK and was significantly cheaper. Of course, I still had lots to learn, but once I had the licence, I could Fly at my convenience and not have to rely on others to build hours.
I will say he is lucky to have a father so interested in his career and is prepared to solicit advice on his behalf. I hope it works out for him, whatever route he takes.
Even with a PPL, you can achieve quite a bit when you have instrument and multi engine ratings.
As he is already going down the PPL route, I would recommend an intensive course, somewhere the weather is nice. I went to Texas to learn and did the course in three weeks. It would have taken months in the UK and was significantly cheaper. Of course, I still had lots to learn, but once I had the licence, I could Fly at my convenience and not have to rely on others to build hours.
I will say he is lucky to have a father so interested in his career and is prepared to solicit advice on his behalf. I hope it works out for him, whatever route he takes.
You should also consider the environmentalists who want to tear down any form of aviation.
I would recommend a serious training or education in a completely different and very reliable field, such as anything related to food, health, defence, logistics, or raw materials...
I would recommend a serious training or education in a completely different and very reliable field, such as anything related to food, health, defence, logistics, or raw materials...
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When paying for courses etc, do it on a card so you will have some cover if the company goes bust.
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My prediction is driverless aircraft on the market within 10 years time. First electric velocopter, then some sort of cargo drone and eventually autonomous passenger planes. Maybe with some poor lonely guy sitting in front of a couple of screens imposing as a "pilot".
Airlines in turn will be able to recruit less educated, cheaper "pilots". Think of a barely literate Uber driver from East Europe following blindly the company GPS instead of your black cab cockney chap with "the knowledge" exam under his belt.
I am aware I sound gloomy, but whatever your outlook, even the most pilot-centric individual would just have to admit that automation will happen and significantly (further) reduce responsibility, difficulty and range of action.
Like it or not, AI will lead to replacement of any operator of machines, or ( even worse) degrade operators to an extra. This is the future, it is inevitable.
I am a senior long haul captain and never had a really bad employer, no accident, no divorce, always well paid, at times even excellent. But was it all worth it? I struggled with expat life and extreme boredom, jet lag, mediocre hotels and lack of social life due to difficult work patterns and many relocations. Still, I am not bitter ( I think) , just extremely pessimistic on the future of this industry. I told my son early on I will finance him any education he likes except flight school.
Airlines in turn will be able to recruit less educated, cheaper "pilots". Think of a barely literate Uber driver from East Europe following blindly the company GPS instead of your black cab cockney chap with "the knowledge" exam under his belt.
I am aware I sound gloomy, but whatever your outlook, even the most pilot-centric individual would just have to admit that automation will happen and significantly (further) reduce responsibility, difficulty and range of action.
Like it or not, AI will lead to replacement of any operator of machines, or ( even worse) degrade operators to an extra. This is the future, it is inevitable.
I am a senior long haul captain and never had a really bad employer, no accident, no divorce, always well paid, at times even excellent. But was it all worth it? I struggled with expat life and extreme boredom, jet lag, mediocre hotels and lack of social life due to difficult work patterns and many relocations. Still, I am not bitter ( I think) , just extremely pessimistic on the future of this industry. I told my son early on I will finance him any education he likes except flight school.
Last edited by Sam Ting Wong; 15th May 2022 at 06:48.
I have read and enjoyed all the comments on here and I am probably going to earn the ire of all these fine guys by commenting. (I am not a professional pilot.)
At 18 I went for selection for a flying scholarship. My father was a pilot, my stepfather was a pilot and I went to a school where the RAF and flying were almost a tradition. After all the tests I was informed I was colour blind. Actually daltonic, just red/green.
I have had (and I hope continue) a wonderful life, a PPL and eventually built my own aircraft but reading the way the pilots who had the career of which I was deprived describe their lives makes me feel they sound like a bunch of spoiled brats. If they hated it so much why didn't they leave? Maybe the only serious regret in my life.
Three of my sons went the military route. One is out, one comes out in a couple of months, the other may stay in, or not. I have to say they have all gained life long friends, something they didn't do at school or at college and their training, while frustrating at times, has been outstanding.
If your son really wants to fly he should find a way and you should support him but do not go into debt for him. I didn't, I wouldn't and neither should you. He wants it bad enough he'll do it on his own.
At 18 I went for selection for a flying scholarship. My father was a pilot, my stepfather was a pilot and I went to a school where the RAF and flying were almost a tradition. After all the tests I was informed I was colour blind. Actually daltonic, just red/green.
I have had (and I hope continue) a wonderful life, a PPL and eventually built my own aircraft but reading the way the pilots who had the career of which I was deprived describe their lives makes me feel they sound like a bunch of spoiled brats. If they hated it so much why didn't they leave? Maybe the only serious regret in my life.
Three of my sons went the military route. One is out, one comes out in a couple of months, the other may stay in, or not. I have to say they have all gained life long friends, something they didn't do at school or at college and their training, while frustrating at times, has been outstanding.
If your son really wants to fly he should find a way and you should support him but do not go into debt for him. I didn't, I wouldn't and neither should you. He wants it bad enough he'll do it on his own.
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Chris - for many, the flying is the icing on the cake for the nonsense you have to put up with. I love flying helicopters, especially on a clear day in Canada when the trees are changing colour, but I don't like eating rotten food provided by contractors to the Forestry trying to make a buck on my back. Aviation is an industry largely influenced by non-experts. Tio get the best out of it, you need a position where you have a measure of control, as with the military. But it's not restricted to aviation - my brother tells me that trucking is not much different.
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A few easyjet facts here regarding training and costs.
https://becomeapilot.easyjet.com/
https://www.cae.com/civil-aviation/b...ing-programme/
https://becomeapilot.easyjet.com/
https://www.cae.com/civil-aviation/b...ing-programme/
I'm not a pilot. I am an engineer and for all sorts of reasons know a bit about what goes on. I know two youngsters who are training to be pilots at the moment:
- The first is from a wealthy family (i.e. UK upper-middle class). The parents are supporting the child to go through an aviation-related degree and also paying for them to do the integrated course, plus buying the child a rather smart car in the driveway. And living at home, costly holidays, etc etc. Essentially the family are seeking to buy the child a fully-assured pathway into a high status white-collar career. Other families put their kids through medical school or law school for the same reason, in this instance it is piloting.
- The second is not from a wealthy family. Took their school exams then moved out of home at age of 18 (plus one day !), into lodgings. Selected the lodgings to be close to cheap (but good) flying school and cheap lodgings, so is about 80-miles away from parents. Immediately started paying their own way in life by cleaning toilets (domestic house cleaner) and used the spare cash to go the modular route, bought their own (small, old, cheap) car. Worked and studied all hours, ferociously determined to be a pilot and to do it on their own. Zero parental support - the parents have never visited us (we happen to be the lodgings). As you can imagine this got noticed and within a year the local airline had taken them on for aviation-related airport (ground) work so was able to cut back on cleaning toilets, whilst still studying and paying their own way on the modular track
It is not the rich child's fault to be a rich child. But I have utmost respect for the second youngster. All things being equal I know I'd hire the second one over the first. But all things are not equal and the first may be able to ride out the financial economic cycles and be in the right place at the right time with the right connections in a way that the second one may not be able to. I've seen it work both ways over the years, sometimes life is not fair.
So - as others have said - it can be done, but have a plan B.
Meanwhile us engineers are doing our best to eliminate aircrew and to deskill them and to make them cheaper. That is an ongoing and longstanding trajectory - flight engineers and radio officers and navigators have gone and I expect that pilots per plane will reduce to one during the career duration of your son, perhaps to none.
In addition climate change issues are a very real concern. It is not popular to mention this around here, but the growth in aviation that has taken place since WW2 is (imho) unlikely to continue in the same way. That is going to cause a career crunch at some point.
Lastly, as others have mentioned your sone would be well advised to try to be on both sides of the UK/EU licencing regime.
- The first is from a wealthy family (i.e. UK upper-middle class). The parents are supporting the child to go through an aviation-related degree and also paying for them to do the integrated course, plus buying the child a rather smart car in the driveway. And living at home, costly holidays, etc etc. Essentially the family are seeking to buy the child a fully-assured pathway into a high status white-collar career. Other families put their kids through medical school or law school for the same reason, in this instance it is piloting.
- The second is not from a wealthy family. Took their school exams then moved out of home at age of 18 (plus one day !), into lodgings. Selected the lodgings to be close to cheap (but good) flying school and cheap lodgings, so is about 80-miles away from parents. Immediately started paying their own way in life by cleaning toilets (domestic house cleaner) and used the spare cash to go the modular route, bought their own (small, old, cheap) car. Worked and studied all hours, ferociously determined to be a pilot and to do it on their own. Zero parental support - the parents have never visited us (we happen to be the lodgings). As you can imagine this got noticed and within a year the local airline had taken them on for aviation-related airport (ground) work so was able to cut back on cleaning toilets, whilst still studying and paying their own way on the modular track
It is not the rich child's fault to be a rich child. But I have utmost respect for the second youngster. All things being equal I know I'd hire the second one over the first. But all things are not equal and the first may be able to ride out the financial economic cycles and be in the right place at the right time with the right connections in a way that the second one may not be able to. I've seen it work both ways over the years, sometimes life is not fair.
So - as others have said - it can be done, but have a plan B.
Meanwhile us engineers are doing our best to eliminate aircrew and to deskill them and to make them cheaper. That is an ongoing and longstanding trajectory - flight engineers and radio officers and navigators have gone and I expect that pilots per plane will reduce to one during the career duration of your son, perhaps to none.
In addition climate change issues are a very real concern. It is not popular to mention this around here, but the growth in aviation that has taken place since WW2 is (imho) unlikely to continue in the same way. That is going to cause a career crunch at some point.
Lastly, as others have mentioned your sone would be well advised to try to be on both sides of the UK/EU licencing regime.
Your son has two things:
The privilege of time.
The privilege of changing his mind.
He’s 18, the chances of him changing his mind as far as a career path are at the very least 50/50. He may or he may not.
If he does you don’t want to be looking at paying off a £50k-£80k debt…or more.
Consider the privilege of time and pick an almost arbitrary year, 25.
That means he has 7 years to achieve his current goals which makes him a perfect candidate for modular training.
Current PPL, some time building in the US or Canada or South Africa next year.
Instrument rating somewhere 3 years from now, take 2 years for the ATPL exams.
Send him off to college or university and just keep up the flying in between with priorities given to advanced education.
He’ll have a degree and be ready to start applying for flying jobs anywhere in the world at 25 and with some planning mostly debt free.
Nothing is for free in life so he should get part time jobs to at least pay for a portion of it himself. How much is up to the two of you to decide.
A part time job that pays $€£500/month means 6000/year means every two years he can do the next license/certificate or rating with some financial help from you.
I can elaborate more if you wish but that would be my recommendation.
The privilege of time.
The privilege of changing his mind.
He’s 18, the chances of him changing his mind as far as a career path are at the very least 50/50. He may or he may not.
If he does you don’t want to be looking at paying off a £50k-£80k debt…or more.
Consider the privilege of time and pick an almost arbitrary year, 25.
That means he has 7 years to achieve his current goals which makes him a perfect candidate for modular training.
Current PPL, some time building in the US or Canada or South Africa next year.
Instrument rating somewhere 3 years from now, take 2 years for the ATPL exams.
Send him off to college or university and just keep up the flying in between with priorities given to advanced education.
He’ll have a degree and be ready to start applying for flying jobs anywhere in the world at 25 and with some planning mostly debt free.
Nothing is for free in life so he should get part time jobs to at least pay for a portion of it himself. How much is up to the two of you to decide.
A part time job that pays $€£500/month means 6000/year means every two years he can do the next license/certificate or rating with some financial help from you.
I can elaborate more if you wish but that would be my recommendation.
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Bristow are currently recruiting cadet pilots for their helicopter operations and they fund the training (except living costs), in the UK they fly to/from the oil rigs in the North Sea and also provide Search and Rescue capability.
https://www.flyheli.co.uk/bristow/
Prior to the pandemic, Aer Lingus ran a fully sponsored pilot training programme from around 2015-2019, I have no idea if/when it will re-open.
The US currently has a very strong recruitment market though in the UK/Europe it doesn't look like a good time to start training to me. We have very high energy prices, increases in the cost of living and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a recession in the next 18 months. Essential living costs will take priority over holidays and now that businesses have become much more accustomed to remote working, I can see a lot of them very quickly cutting business travel to save costs.
https://www.flyheli.co.uk/bristow/
Prior to the pandemic, Aer Lingus ran a fully sponsored pilot training programme from around 2015-2019, I have no idea if/when it will re-open.
The US currently has a very strong recruitment market though in the UK/Europe it doesn't look like a good time to start training to me. We have very high energy prices, increases in the cost of living and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a recession in the next 18 months. Essential living costs will take priority over holidays and now that businesses have become much more accustomed to remote working, I can see a lot of them very quickly cutting business travel to save costs.
@ Sam Ting Wong: Yes, nowadays terms and conditions are terrible, the pay and duty hours are terrible and - pilots and their union are terrible at standing up for themselves to get improvements.
But when actually airborne, I have a very positive mind set. Even when I am flying long-haul, for hours over the ocean, I think to myself "Here I am, in control of a superb, really advanced aircraft, with superb, really advanced triple spool Rolls Royce engines, flying to XYZ, how cool is that?" During quiet times I might read something technical, such as a subject in the FCTM or Airbus Safety First, or whatever - just to add to my knowledge. At night I might look at the stars, planets and the Space station going over.
On short-haul there are positives too, if you look for them.
If you are regularly seriously tired, something is wrong with your pre-flight preparation, by which I mean your sleep 'hygiene'; perhaps review that and make some changes to ensure enough sleep. Also check with your GP. I went to my GP after just scraping through a recurrent Sim once, which I normally don't have a problem with, and to my great surprise he told me I was very stressed and he signed me off work for 2 weeks there and then. I was totally shocked because I didn't feel stressed at all.
But when actually airborne, I have a very positive mind set. Even when I am flying long-haul, for hours over the ocean, I think to myself "Here I am, in control of a superb, really advanced aircraft, with superb, really advanced triple spool Rolls Royce engines, flying to XYZ, how cool is that?" During quiet times I might read something technical, such as a subject in the FCTM or Airbus Safety First, or whatever - just to add to my knowledge. At night I might look at the stars, planets and the Space station going over.
On short-haul there are positives too, if you look for them.
If you are regularly seriously tired, something is wrong with your pre-flight preparation, by which I mean your sleep 'hygiene'; perhaps review that and make some changes to ensure enough sleep. Also check with your GP. I went to my GP after just scraping through a recurrent Sim once, which I normally don't have a problem with, and to my great surprise he told me I was very stressed and he signed me off work for 2 weeks there and then. I was totally shocked because I didn't feel stressed at all.
My prediction is driverless aircraft on the market within 10 years time. First electric velocopter, then some sort of cargo drone and eventually autonomous passenger planes. Maybe with some poor lonely guy sitting in front of a couple of screens imposing as a "pilot".
Airlines in turn will be able to recruit less educated, cheaper "pilots". Think of a barely literate Uber driver from East Europe following blindly the company GPS instead of your black cab cockney chap with "the knowledge" exam under his belt.
I am aware I sound gloomy, but whatever your outlook, even the most pilot-centric individual would just have to admit that automation will happen and significantly (further) reduce responsibility, difficulty and range of action.
Like it or not, AI will lead to replacement of any operator of machines, or ( even worse) degrade operators to an extra. This is the future, it is inevitable.
I am a senior long haul captain and never had a really bad employer, no accident, no divorce, always well paid, at times even excellent. But was it all worth it? I struggled with expat life and extreme boredom, jet lag, mediocre hotels and lack of social life due to difficult work patterns and many relocations. Still, I am not bitter ( I think) , just extremely pessimistic on the future of this industry. I told my son early on I will finance him any education he likes except flight school.
Airlines in turn will be able to recruit less educated, cheaper "pilots". Think of a barely literate Uber driver from East Europe following blindly the company GPS instead of your black cab cockney chap with "the knowledge" exam under his belt.
I am aware I sound gloomy, but whatever your outlook, even the most pilot-centric individual would just have to admit that automation will happen and significantly (further) reduce responsibility, difficulty and range of action.
Like it or not, AI will lead to replacement of any operator of machines, or ( even worse) degrade operators to an extra. This is the future, it is inevitable.
I am a senior long haul captain and never had a really bad employer, no accident, no divorce, always well paid, at times even excellent. But was it all worth it? I struggled with expat life and extreme boredom, jet lag, mediocre hotels and lack of social life due to difficult work patterns and many relocations. Still, I am not bitter ( I think) , just extremely pessimistic on the future of this industry. I told my son early on I will finance him any education he likes except flight school.
On a broader front, I'm very impressed with the high standard of advice being offered across the board to a very sensible sounding parent.
Jack
I hate to burst your bubble, but you sound like the classic diligent job first career pilot that truly believes your a valued employee. I truly hope you don't get to discover the truth that your just a number and no-one will notice if you don't turn up tomorrow before you retire. After about two years they won't even remember your name.
In recent years my colleagues and I were made redundant from the last two of these - both respected UK short and long-haul fleeted airlines - owing to them both going out of business one after the other. I was on front line flying since soon after my Pprune join date, so have experienced flying generally going down hill, in terms of worsening pay, worsening T's & C's, longer duties and greater fatigue etc. In the first of the two defunct airlines, I was in absolutely no doubt about being valued or remembered by anyone ! My 'bubble' has been burst many times already !!
I just find it very important to be positive and enjoy whatever you do for work and if not; to move on.
(For what it's worth, I am currently freelancing back in my first career, to keep the wolf from the door, and this year am in strong demand I am very pleased to say
)..
Last edited by Uplinker; 15th May 2022 at 13:49.
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It was just a matter of time, this thread is starting to derail from disgruntled pilots (I am one of them btw!)
The advice so far has been of high quality, let's keep in that way. Lock the thread if necessary. I think the objective has been reached.
The advice so far has been of high quality, let's keep in that way. Lock the thread if necessary. I think the objective has been reached.
ALWAYS try Military first:
1) It provides by far the coolest most fun flying there is
2) It provides friends for life
3) It is Free! You actually GET payed.
4) Transition from military to civilian can be done later, will be cheaper and you bring a lot of experience..👍
1) It provides by far the coolest most fun flying there is
2) It provides friends for life
3) It is Free! You actually GET payed.
4) Transition from military to civilian can be done later, will be cheaper and you bring a lot of experience..👍
Ha ha ! Thank you, but don't worry - I am very diligent, but am older than you presumably think I am and have had two full and different careers. The first one was not aviation related, the second involved full-time employment in four UK airlines.
In recent years my colleagues and I were made redundant from the last two of these - both respected UK short and long-haul fleeted airlines - owing to them both going out of business one after the other. I was on front line flying since soon after my Pprune join date, so have experienced flying generally going down hill, in terms of worsening pay, worsening T's & C's, longer duties and greater fatigue etc. In the first of the two defunct airlines, I was in absolutely no doubt about being valued or remembered by anyone ! My 'bubble' has been burst many times already !!
I just find it very important to be positive and enjoy whatever you do for work and if not; to move on.
(For what it's worth, I am currently freelancing back in my first career, to keep the wolf from the door, and this year am in strong demand I am very pleased to say).
.
In recent years my colleagues and I were made redundant from the last two of these - both respected UK short and long-haul fleeted airlines - owing to them both going out of business one after the other. I was on front line flying since soon after my Pprune join date, so have experienced flying generally going down hill, in terms of worsening pay, worsening T's & C's, longer duties and greater fatigue etc. In the first of the two defunct airlines, I was in absolutely no doubt about being valued or remembered by anyone ! My 'bubble' has been burst many times already !!
I just find it very important to be positive and enjoy whatever you do for work and if not; to move on.
(For what it's worth, I am currently freelancing back in my first career, to keep the wolf from the door, and this year am in strong demand I am very pleased to say
)..
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Airbus captain here. Haven't read the whole thread, looks like most of the issues have been covered very well, here's my 0.02 on a couple of other things
He has time on his side. 18 year old pilots sitting in Airbuses are beloved by flying school marketing departments for brochure making purposes but they aren't actually all that common in the real world. Early / mid 20s yes, 18 no. I personally recommend a year or two between finishing high school and making such a big career decision. If he works his ass off for those couple of years, saves some money and at the end of that time he's still determined to commit that money to flight training then I think you'll be able to approach the decision with a lot more confidence.
Don't believe ANYTHING that a flying school marketing department tells you in terms of potential earnings and time to be earning them. Yes you can still earn the big bucks when you're in the captain's seat of a big jet. For many of us it took decades to get to that seat. I personally started full time training at the age of 22 and it took 20 years to pay off my 100K student loans. I spent many years working as a flight instructor / air ambulance pilot / copilot on an old cargo turboprop aircraft etc, before I got my first passenger jet first officer job. That's the reality for just about everyone who doesn't get lucky with sponsored courses.
I finally got my big jet captain position in my early 40s, did it for 3 years and then covid struck, I've spent the last 2 years working as a casual labourer and sliding back into overdraft, it's gonna take me ANOTHER year or two to get back to where I was financially before covid. The medical checks get harder as you get older, when I finally get called back to work, I'll have pretty much one decade to finally make some decent money, assuming no more industry crisis or medical issues. It's compulsory retirement at 60 in the Asian country where I work now, so that'll be the end of that
I'd almost certainly be better off financially if I had sunk that money into a house deposit 20 years ago, grabbed a couple of rentals along the way and done a normal career that doesn't cost 6 figure sums to get into. Can't look back with regret because flying is cool, but there's a MASSIVE cost of lost opportunity that isn't talked about enough.
My advice, do the class 1 medical as everyone says, read the fine print on the "sponsored" courses and if you find a good one by all means apply, discuss the individual courses with the boys and girls on here as you apply for them, there's a lot of fish hooks in a lot of them nowadays. If you don't get lucky with that, then get your pilot licence the old school "modular" way, save a heap of cash, and work your way up from the bottom.
Ultimately flying isn't really about who's the best or the most naturally talented, it's about being in the right place right time in the good times, and being a stubborn SOB clinging on with the tip of your fingernails and refusing to give up on the dream in the bad times.
Final thought, Brexit has severely limited the options for UK citizens / UK licence holders, if he's able to work in Europe then I'd probably advise him to go that route as opposed to a UK one, it's a much bigger market overall and Brits are now unfortunately locked out of it
Cheers, LST
He has time on his side. 18 year old pilots sitting in Airbuses are beloved by flying school marketing departments for brochure making purposes but they aren't actually all that common in the real world. Early / mid 20s yes, 18 no. I personally recommend a year or two between finishing high school and making such a big career decision. If he works his ass off for those couple of years, saves some money and at the end of that time he's still determined to commit that money to flight training then I think you'll be able to approach the decision with a lot more confidence.
Don't believe ANYTHING that a flying school marketing department tells you in terms of potential earnings and time to be earning them. Yes you can still earn the big bucks when you're in the captain's seat of a big jet. For many of us it took decades to get to that seat. I personally started full time training at the age of 22 and it took 20 years to pay off my 100K student loans. I spent many years working as a flight instructor / air ambulance pilot / copilot on an old cargo turboprop aircraft etc, before I got my first passenger jet first officer job. That's the reality for just about everyone who doesn't get lucky with sponsored courses.
I finally got my big jet captain position in my early 40s, did it for 3 years and then covid struck, I've spent the last 2 years working as a casual labourer and sliding back into overdraft, it's gonna take me ANOTHER year or two to get back to where I was financially before covid. The medical checks get harder as you get older, when I finally get called back to work, I'll have pretty much one decade to finally make some decent money, assuming no more industry crisis or medical issues. It's compulsory retirement at 60 in the Asian country where I work now, so that'll be the end of that
I'd almost certainly be better off financially if I had sunk that money into a house deposit 20 years ago, grabbed a couple of rentals along the way and done a normal career that doesn't cost 6 figure sums to get into. Can't look back with regret because flying is cool, but there's a MASSIVE cost of lost opportunity that isn't talked about enough.
My advice, do the class 1 medical as everyone says, read the fine print on the "sponsored" courses and if you find a good one by all means apply, discuss the individual courses with the boys and girls on here as you apply for them, there's a lot of fish hooks in a lot of them nowadays. If you don't get lucky with that, then get your pilot licence the old school "modular" way, save a heap of cash, and work your way up from the bottom.
Ultimately flying isn't really about who's the best or the most naturally talented, it's about being in the right place right time in the good times, and being a stubborn SOB clinging on with the tip of your fingernails and refusing to give up on the dream in the bad times.
Final thought, Brexit has severely limited the options for UK citizens / UK licence holders, if he's able to work in Europe then I'd probably advise him to go that route as opposed to a UK one, it's a much bigger market overall and Brits are now unfortunately locked out of it
Cheers, LST