Old King Cole,
Are you really saying that the experience and knowledge of a guys who have logged up 1000s of hours on “L1011, B747-200, RJ100, BAC1-11, A300”, to quote you, should be ignored when it comes to them applying for a job as a 737 driver? There’s nothing magic about the 737, other than it happens to be the Plane of the Moment. Let’s wait for another 5-10 years, when a replacement arrives- different aircraft, and, by then, different airlines. Will the experience of the 737 drivers count for anything if the Ryanairs and Easyjets of today go belly up? There they are- 1000s of hours on the 737, which has been displaced as flavour of the decade.
The whole area of self paid type ratings with no guarantee of a job is a scam. A person should receive a day’s pay for a day’s work.
Danny
To answer your question - the answer is yes- BUT- only if the 6 months of penury is compensated thereafter with a long term Contract (not 6- 12 months) which assures me that I will be remunerated by the airline on a pay scale above the Industry Standard, which will make up for my 6 months of working “at risk”. After all, if I take the risk of helping an airline out for no pay, in return for a Type Rating, (also taking a risk that the airline will not go bust in the foreseeable future,) then the there must be a balancing gesture on your part.