got my private pilots license for a cessna-152. due to costs associated with it, I never got the unrestricted (cross country) part of the license. it's lifetime so I may go back but i did it for fun. In New zealand the career path was either airforce to learn and all (the arguably better way, pension and they pay you) the alternative is to sweat your balls off at some dumb job where 90 percent of your pay goes to flying, once you are qualified, which takes a long time and a ton of money (it was well over 20 grand by the time you do commercial and instructors ratings etc) you can get an instructors job, which pays dick. Then you can get your b category, then a category etc. Then start applying to airlines to work for them.
They then look at your number of flying hours first and foremost. most have a criteria of a shit load of hours before they will even interview you. It's a long slow process that you will be poor for the most of.
It was a shit load of fun though. I mean really really fun. it does shit you when you are flying along and the instructor turns of the engine and says "uh oh, engine failure, do what?" though :lol
