Originally Posted by
SonicFlyer
The market has changed dramatically since then. It is not even close to being that cheap any more. And I don't know too many people who can work full time and cash-flow an extra $20k/yr for flight training (not to mention not having the time to do so).
The market did change a lot in the last few years. The hourly requirements haven't changed, so it is possible to get it done in the low 40s, but sub $100/hour light trainers are getting harder to find, so that keeps driving the cost up.
I never really wanted to be an airline pilot so I wasn't worried about missing the seniority train, but in the current hiring environment 2 years is a lot of time spent just to get the initial ratings. For someone starting training today, a 60k flight training loan can be a viable option, especially now that the entry level pay is catching up to where it needs to be.