CH4, you have now been calling me "one of the idiots, who is wasting his time" by 'scrounging around' in the 'wanabee section'. Thanks for a good laugh, but why shouldn't I? Is it somehow forbidden? Maybe I should ask you, why you are so nervous to see some of us more seasoned guys looking after the young ones?
Let me try to explain, once again, why I do not like the business you are doing:
1. It adds a considerable amount of cost to, what already is extremely expensive, initial pilot training. There will be more and more of those individuals who simply can not afford to be professional pilots anymore. This means that plenty of good talent will be waisted and I don't think this will serve any good for the whole airline industry on the long run.
2. With all that huge investment one must commit him/herself, there will be no, what so ever, commitment on your side! What is the whole purpose of this £850.- screening session, other than bringing the additional cash flow in your company, if it doesn't show if one is up to the standard you are looking for?
3. In spite of this huge investment for one's career, it does not reflect into his/her salary, contradictary, it seems that their salaries are far lower than before. By the way, why can't you come out with the real salaries one could expect if he/she REALLY is rewarded with a job. Your comment "no one works for free" is just not good enough!
4. Because of the fact above, people are not only losing money but time as well, it will take additional years to reach their ultimate career goal; a good, honest and fairly paid job. (like the one I'm blessed these days)
In spite of your tendency to take this debate into personal level by calling us names, making all kind of (false) assumptions of our individual crew management abilities and the general statements of my very own personal happiness (which went wrong again), I'm kindly asking us all to remember: It should be our subject we are arguing about, not ourself against each other. This requires of course, as we have seen, some degree of intelligence...