I would never recommend going to ATP. If you could get a loan for that, perhaps you could get a smaller loan and buy yourself a small Cessna 150. They can be found in the 20-25K range. Learn to fly in it and if you don't like it, you can sell it. If you do like it, you could move through your ratings, do some of the advanced training and time building in your own plane, and get to the point where you can instructor others and make a buck.

Take your time and don't go into much debt. Keep your day job but explore the opprotunity to fly. This has always been a cyclical business and we are seeing a perfect storm low because of the economy and age 65. I feel good about the prospects of it turning around. Many of the folks with good jobs, like me, will eventually retire and open up a spot in the food chain.

This site is overwhelmingly negative. I think the happy, satisfied, folks have better things to do than complain about life on an anonymous message board. Really, I think that's typical of anonymous internet sites. As many people that post here, they are a VERY small fractions of all pilots in the biz.

Take it all with a grain of salt. Explore it on your own and form your own opinions. Don't believe the ATP marketing staff. Remember, your career situation, decisions, and expectations are unique to you. Good luck.