UAV689, What is the “market rate” for a 250 hour CPL holder?
I ask because when I look back 30 or 40 years ago, a CPL in the U.K. or Ireland wouldn’t have been possible (outside of the rare full time approved training programmes) without a minimum of 700 hours. Even then, that level of experience would likely have been a third of what most airlines would have stipulated as a requirement for right hand seat entry.
Most aspiring pilots would have built experience as flying instructors (with a PPL) and around that level of flight experience, adjusted for inflation, the remuneration comparison would likely have been similar. When JAR regulations were adopted, it became a requirement for all “aerial work” remunerated employment to require holders to have a CPL (no longer allowing remunerated PPL instructors) and to compensate for that, the hours requirement for a CPL dropped to around 200 hours.
At around this time there also emerged the evolution of the “pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap” lo-co operators. The CEO of one who famously was quoted as saying he didn’t want co-pilots any more as it only added to the input costs and they were unnecessary. As that idea was something of a non-starter, why not utilise the strict interpretation of the (then) new JAR CPL requirements to go for the next best option? Something that has seemingly worked well for them to this day.
The result was rather akin to the annual migration of the widebeasts. The floodgates of new 200 hour CPL holders burst open (all believing their 250 hours would be just what the airline operators were clamouring for.) Using the same analogy, a lot of those same herds were swept away in the raging currents or eaten by the crocodiles.
So having taken advantage of a regulatory change, why not charge £30k (or whatever) for a type rating? The aspirant airline pilot is out of the game without one. It was a clever strategy and no doubt corporately worthy of stratospheric bonuses. If you increase supply without a corresponding increase in demand then the price (terms and conditions) will inevitably fall. Eventually those terms will spread throughout the whole cost base. Surprise. Surprise, that is exactly what has happened.
So again, I ask what is the “market rate” for a 250 hour CPL holder? My guess is that (for the lucky ones) you are looking at it?
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-n...ercial-flights