Luke and Tom,
What an arrogant, chip on your shoulder attitude to come from people who, as pilots and having had to struggle, surely would be the best to see the need for a little bit of help for many who would want to enter the industry, but otherwise would not have the means to do so, having not had a licence 'handed on a big silver plate to them' by mummy and daddy who may not understand that they have selected themselves and therefore not even passed an airline aptitude test, or the friendly bank manager.
Quite frankly, your attitude that pilots should have to do every step through the hoop of turboprop, commuter, instruction assumes (1) that everyone wants to do that sort of flying - which some will love and some will not, and (2) that entry to all those options is available, which it plainly is not. You are talking about many people who might have neither time nor energy perhaps due to age or family commitments who are unable to step through all these hoops and to realise their dream, and therefore need such a helping hand.
Just because you are a creature of envy, there is no need to display such poor sportsmanship to those who did get it - and don't tell me that you didn't apply.
Would you also remove paid training for military pilots who don't pay a penny of their military training, simply beacause they are getting in more powerful aircraft at an earlier stage? Or would you have them shovel crap for a couple of years to pay back for them getting something better than you.
Your attitude is both offensive and patronising - you should be campaigning to remove the requirement to have to pay for any professional training, just as in any other reasonable profession, instead of having people rip us off simply because we love it.
With your attitude you would not be getting a job with me as an interviewer, simply because of the antipathy you would cause among many a diverse pilot community, with many different backgrounds from both self-sponsored to fully sponsored. I suppose you are someone who thinks that you can simply rock up with a licence and be qualified for the job, without regard for how you might gel with staff, attitude to company goals and perhaps a greater aptitude that is required for some operations, such as North Sea for example? Get a life.
Rant off.
BA DEP then anyone? Back to topic?
Carmen is a bidding system in operation at EOG.