CFI course, costs on average around 4,000
CFII course, costs on average around 2,500
CFMEI course costs on average around 4,000
thats 10,500 for the CFI's...In order to get those CFI's you also need to get a Commercial Single...so you need to spend money to learn how to do a steep spiral, power off 180, chandelles, Lazy 8's and 8's on pylons, any one of which can trip up commercial single pilots, causing them to have to spend extra time and money on that.
so say it comes to a total of 15,000, for those four ratings.
Now you flight instruct...we'll say for three years. Say you make 30k/year, thats pretty good for a CFI. Maybe you end up with 1500/100me after three years, you're set to go to the regionals.
a comm multi pilot goes to GTA, where she is PAID to build time...three years down the road she's got her ATP and is a captain logging multi turbine PIC, and has made around 25k on year one, and 50k on year two, 55k on year three. The GTA captain now has her 1000 hours of turbine PIC time. While you're applying to the regionals she is applying to the majors.
So the CFI made 90,000 over the three years, while the GTA pilot made 130,000 over the three years...thats $40,000 more, not to mention the fact that the GTA pilot is now going to the majors while the CFI is about to endure first year regional FO pay.
So you're arguement that its so much more expensive to go to GTA doesn't really seem to make much sense....