My concern is that not only have QF started recruiting more cadets than direct entry SO's
Not true, MILFhunter. QF recruitment resumed in January this year, after nearly a year or so's hiatus. The first two courses (Jan and Feb) were a mix of cadet and DE applicants (the cadets being those from the 2002 course, graduating early 2003 and who, like so many of us, were caught up in it all when SARS ground things to a halt). Now that this cadet course has been absorbed, theoretically there won't be any cadets recruited by Qantas for another two years or so, at which time the industry experience phase of the 2003 course will have finished. So no cadets to be recruited for another 2 years, and yet some 120 pilots required this year (and another large intake mooted for next year)? Sounds like plenty of DE activity to me - certainly a hell of alot more DEs than cadets..