As initiator of this thread, I must say that I have actually been able with the cooperation of everyone to prove a point.
That Aviation has become a very hostile industry to be in. Today it is more than ever a "me, myself and I" environment. I know that in the world we live in everybody must look out for their own interest, this was always the case and will always be. But today more than a strugle it looks like a battle. We are at war with ourselves. We elbow our competitors at every chance we get in the hopes of landing the all elusive flight-deck job. We brainwash ourselvelves into thinking that, "such is life", "market conditions prevailing" or any other justification we might deem plausible to ease the frustrations we feel.
Just sample the atmosphere in aviation forums! You can feel the anger, bitternes, frustrations and plain fear in the replies posted to almost any threads, but especially those dealing with pilots on the outside. Pilots that are not employed at the moment. We fire attacks at each other, discrediting or insulting. Why do we do this? Because the current situation leads us to it.
Pilots are people first of all and they expect to be treated as such. They don't expect to be treated with white gloves or given any special treatment....No! What we expect is much more simple. That we are treated with respect, dignity and above all FAIRLY! Just this.
If a company wants you to pay for a type rating...O.k. then on the other hand commit to offering me a decent job upon succesfull completion. Like any relationship it is a give an take issue, you cannot just take in a relationship. If this is what you want you should sollicit the services of hookers....but don't expect any love with it nor for it to be a very long affair. I don't think many of us like being treated as hookers.
Another thing. It is not about new-bies or old-bies. If you have 275 hours freshly out of school or have logged 5000+ hours on heavy jet, these modern employment tendencies will effect us all in one way or the other. Even if you are employed today and feel that this does not apply to you anymore...Think again, what happens if by horrible chance your present employer goes bust or just feels like making you redundant (cut-backs you see, after all the only thing important is "share-holder equity", right?) We are all affected by this, either we like it or not.
This if why I feel that something must be done about it actively. If not, if left alone it will eventually evolve. Time changes eveything. In the future trail and error, supply and demand, hey maybe even legislation will change how hiring and training is done. But my concern is that I live now. I need a job today. I don't have the luxury of time, and many other pilots don't either. We have expenses, mouths to feed, debts to repay, mortgages etc.
Let's not point our guns at each other but at the problem.