I dont get the PFT thing either. It took me 6.5 years to go from private pilot checkride to the right seat of a heavy. My daddy was an enlisted man in the airforce, no help there, mom was a homemaker, even less help there. So how did I do it? BY WORKING MY ARSE OFF! Get your CFI/CFII/MEI and get out there and instruct for a few years, you will be surprised the CRM and working with difficult people, skills you will learn.