FlyingKat, you are exactly right about what it costs to get your ratings now. It is virtually impossible to do it for less than $60-75k. The average is well above that.

The pilots of yesteryear are vastly uninformed of what it costs today. I spent some time at one of the more reasonably priced flight schools. Major airline pilots would bring their kids in and could not believe the current training costs. And they did their homework to find cheaper alternatives. They aren't out there.

Then add the cost of a college degree if you plan to go to a major.

Anyone who thinks differently, PLEASE find a young person interested in flight training and mentor them. Do some research and try to help them find a more economical way to do it. You will be enlightened and surprised.

The facts are, the career has been destroyed to the point it is no longer desirable AND the ROI isn't worth the time and financial investment for most people.