Originally Posted by
aviran
It's really thought out, but even my instructor examiner, who is American and know the FAA system, agree the Class 4 needs a overhaul to recommend, not require, a supervision, because he said he does 10 renewals for every initial, and that speaks load on the failed system in Canada. In the US, for example, CFI are the equivalent of class 3, they can do anything the moment they pass their checkride, with the exception of instrument training, multi engine training and new CFI training a. (two require another checkride, the later 2 years of experience)
And many of the US instructors I had were less than one year instructor, and they were good. Being new doesn't mean you are flawed, and the Canadian system have people getting their instructor rating and than sitting on their bum for the next 6-10 months, without getting actual experience, whereas in the US, most instructors get to find a job rather quickly, and build up that experience.
I myself witnessed an accident in Oshawa for a solo student who literally was approved by a class 1 few minutes earlier, and still she crashed that Cessna anyway, so that rubber stamps can be extremely useless sometimes.
So the Canadian system is nowhere near perfect, and even Transport Canada examiners are supporting that, but changing the system is admitting the government did wrong, and no government like to admit it, so like it or not, good or bad - it's here to stay.
Edit: I just got another CFI basically telling me almost no one will hire a class 4 instructor. So yes, I think the Canadian system is extremely stupid and flawed. If that is the case, TC was ought to require any flight school that want to offer the instructor rating to hire the instructor until they reach class 3, to avoid this situation where, unlike other profession, you can't work without supervision that no one will hire. Another option, as brought up the examiner, is to put on class 2 the opposite requirement from class 4 - have, at least, 100 supervision (i.e. 100 recommendations for flight tests and 100 solo approval) before being allowed to advance to class 1, that way flight schools are forced to hire class 4 if they wish to promote their class 2.
It will be very similar to my other profession as paramedic - if you want to be a supervisor over new candidate, you must actively me supervising them, you can't just collect the higher paycheck without actively, everyday doing that job, but in this case, the emphasis will be only on supervisions, as it's the main issue.
Point being - by time I find a job as class 4, if ever, my US peers will already have their ATPL and will be flying FO in the regionals, if not captains. Absolutely no sense in this system.
I agree that ab initio pilot training in Canada requires an overhaul. Our system was seemingly designed for what I would call ritualistic progression. That is the traditional PPL, CPL, Instructor, Bush, and Airlines route. It made sense that a Class 4 would be supervised because there was enough movement through the system that you could all but guarantee the supervision time would be short-lived. That has been disrupted for a myriad of reasons, not least of which is that not enough people want to be pilots. The last stat I remember seeing was that 250 CPLs had been issued in one year, the vast majority of those moving back to Asia. Those are not great numbers considering that, combined, WestJet and Air Canada need somewhere between 500 to 1000 pilots next year. You also now have pilots bypassing the Instructor and Bush component of the industry and coming straight to the airlines. We are seeing the effect where new hire pilots at the airlines don't have the knowledge or skill that our training industry would have developed through that traditional route. Ergo, if this is to continue, we as an industry need to push for TC to update the ab initio training profile. Having also completed by training in two countries, I'm biased to say that I found the New Zealand system far superior to the Canadian one, and the NZ system is loosely based of the European way of doing things. If I was head of TC, that's what I would do - copy the kiwi way of doing licenses and call it a day. Granted, the C-Cat still requires supervision, but I found it less cumbersome.
Also, in another post you talk about poor pilot pay when starting out, and I agree, it's abysmal. In the next few posts, you compare pilots to doctors, lawyers, and paramedics. I'm going to play The Devil's Advocate here: Pilots receive a high wage at the airlines and other parts of the industry not because of our education and experience, but because of the responsibility of carrying so many people. Sure, education and experience plays a part, I'd not compare my flying education to that of a doctor or lawyer. A quick google search shows paramedics require 60 weeks of instruction, or roughly speaking, 2,100 hours of instruction. An MBA requires somewhere around 1,500 hours of study and instruction. The CPL can be taken at 200 hours, meaning that at 600 hours flying time, you have, at best, 780-800 hours of ground training and flight experience, the majority of that not being formal education in a classroom setting. Our education is simply not in the same ballpark. We have a fancy drivers license, that's it. I don't say that to demean our profession, and I cop a lot of flack when I say this, but comparing your starting pay to that of someone who spent double the amount of time receiving an education is flawed. Yes, I believe pilots should be paid a fair wage, but let's at least be honest about our place in the amount of education received for pay earned.
However, all this talk does not help your current predicament. You need a job and you need a job in the current climate, not a future one we may aspire to. Is it hard? Yes. Is it impossible? No. To give an answer to this:
You are saying "make necessary sacrifice", basically saying they got divorced. There is no way around it - when you are married, and you know it, with kids, specially when some are in school age, and baby age, you can't just make "necessary sacrifice", as you are basically sacrificing your family, unless you get divorced, and that is exactly where the age and family status become a huge factor. Without actual concrete cases, and not the exception (like the 30 hours wonder), but the many who made it work while keeping their family intact, we all know it's a lot to ask.
No, you do not have to get divorced. I successfully came through the industry married with a young child. I made the move to Yellowknife and down to Calgary, all with wife and kid in tow because it was either move them around, or not have a career. Was it a struggle? Yes. Do I wish I could have sat at home and have the airline job come to me like some of the junior pilots do now? Yes. But that's not how the industry works in the long-term. And you are not the only pilot to face this issue. I came up through the ranks with many pilots who had a wife and kids. It's not unique. Each of us had to accept the sacrifice. That's not me saying "I did it, so must you", but rather, that's what the industry requires, so either accept it or don't. Yes, it's a lot to ask. And yes, not all marriages make it. It is a huge risk, and it is certainly made worse when you are more established in life than a 20 year old. But, this is part and parcel of the industry you've chosen to enter. It's not fair, it spits out its young, and it's cruel beyond any measure. Yet, I wouldn't have changed a thing in my career.
I strongly suggest you put the energy you have back into finding a job. Find ways of making yourself more attractive as a Class 4. Get a multi-job and build that time so you could become a quick transfer to Group 1 instrument training. Get a float rating if you don't already have it. Get your aerobatic ticket. I am going to be very frank here, the worst thing you can do is continue to sulk about the injustices you believe have been done to you. You are simply going to have to accept that you have to find a way to make this work, or you have to go do something else.
Everyone in this industry has had moments like you are facing now. Some early in their career, some later. Those still flying found a path, even if it was a rough and winding road. Those that are not flying gave up and blamed the industry.
It's your choice which path you will go down. So get at it, or don't.