I'm actually enjoying taking a bit of a 'back seat' here and watching the debate for a while. OKC seems to talk a lot of sense here; but I would say that wouldn't I, because he shares many similar views to me. And before anyone accuses me of being OKC, think again, it most definitely is not me and NO he doesn't work for me either.
One point I would like to pick up on is something Strato said;
'inexperienced pilots are buying type ratings and paying to take another pilot's job by the simple law of "supply and demand". '
Pray, please tell me just whose job is anyone taking here? I'm confused, so perhaps you can enlighten me?
That is the whole point of what we are doing, we are training pilots to supply the demand that the market has. These are new jobs that are becoming available in the market place; no-one is being replaced by us providing new talent.
I know who my airline customers are and I know how many pilots they want from me. I'm not however going to divulge that information here, for obvious reasons. I was foolish enough recently, only trying to be helpful, in divulging in a telephone call to one interested pilot who one of my airline customers was, where I have a firm order for pilots. What did he do? He contacted said airline immediately to verify whether I was telling the truth! My airline customers do not want calls from every 'tom, dick and harry' asking such things. They are very busy and that's why they commission me to assist them and supply them with the crews they need. That wasn't a very smart move on behalf of said pilot, if you think about it. No damage done, in this instance, but there could have been.
My point is, there is a considerable shortage of good, qualified and type rated pilots in the market place, in the EU. That will get progressively worse as time goes on.
I am looking for type rated, experienced pilots right now that I am having difficulty in providing. We advertise worldwide over the internet and in the main pilot media, but they still are not there! That's why we are now 'training to order' basically.
I happen to know how many pilots airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet expect to take on next year and all I will say is that it is a huge number. My own view is, that even if we see a 'catastrophic failure' of a major carrier before next spring, such a failure will only delay the need for new type rated pilots, and not by that long either! Many airlines are hoping that might be the case, because it will only help them with their problem.
Given the above, I am now looking for experienced F/O's and Captains to type rate, to fill the gap and also provide the balance of experience required by my customers. To give you an example an experienced Captain, with the wrong type on his licence (e.g. 146, MD80) can expect a direct entry position if he has the right type on his licence (e.g. Boeing or Airbus); same goes for experienced F/O's, either on turboprops or similar redundant jet types.
I'm a bit weary now of defending what is a genuine opportunity for a pilot that wants to get on with his carreer. If you don't want to sign up, then please don't, but stop 'knocking' those that do. If you reckon that the market will change again and will 'revert back' to paying for your type rating, my only caution would be that you may face a long, cold wait! But I don't determine the market, sorry.
CH4