Well done to all you Chaps who have passed the Ryanair selection process. By all accounts it's not a giveaway so those who are selected must have talent.
I was talking to a young Chap the other week who also passed, and received his training start date, only then to turn them down! When I asked why on earth he would do that, he reeled off a few reasons that rather put it in perspective: He would sign a EUR 28k+ contract with a 3rd party training provider; there would be 2 company layers between himself and Ryanair; and of course the main problem; that there were absolutely no assurances of where he would be based and how much flying he would be doing - both critical issues when flying for Ryanair.
Speaking to another couple of guys afterwards, it transpires that there are a number of cadets who have gone through the training process, but who are hardly flying at all - so having the expense of living away from their homes, but not earning anything.
I have always had a certain respect for Ryanair. You joined the company and received good quality training on a very desirable jet. You then flew your backside off, got shafted financially of course, but got lots of good experience in a short period of time. You would probably get quite a quick command in the process.
In my view, if you take the experience out of the equation, it all becomes a very different animal. I have always despised pay to fly, but this could turn out to be pay to not fly...
Even if that were the case, hopefully it would not last for long what with Ryanair's massive recent order for new jets
So, I would be steeling myself for a possible period of very little earnings. I imagine that quite a proportion of you chaps come from wealthy families (and I don't knock that; we cannot choose what we are born into just as I also don't knock those 10-20% of pilots who are genuinely gifted) so it won't matter that much. But to some, it may matter a lot.
I have little personal knowledge of Ryanair so feel free to correct me and give me at least some optimism as to the way that my chosen profession, that I have enjoyed every minute of for well over 40 years, is going. I am from a completely different generation to you guys
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