I'm studying for my ATP written right now so that I can apply to a regional and be slightly less poor than I am as a CFI- or at least give myself the illusion "of moving on up" while I continue to live below the poverty line.

My $70,000 loan that I took out for flight training 8 years ago went to collection 3 years ago after they bumped my payments up from the "interest only" amount of $500 up to $700... and I'm wondering if a regional will check my credit rating and not hire me for this reason.

And just for the entertainment value... while I was paying the interest only payments for a year and then paying full payments for a year or less... I paid $24,600 out of my CFI pay (instead of paying rent to my mom) and the amount owned on the loan was reduced by $3,000. Fortunately it is a private loan- not government!

For the record, in the bailout of 2008 Key Bank got 14 million dollars of our tax money...