Gentlemen,
I appreciate everyone's honest replies. I am flying in Canada where pilots are not so fortunate where the standard operation flies jets. We start from the very bottom as loaders and groomers even after we got our license. After that it's a huge deal when you get to fly a Navajo (do you even know what that is). After seven years in the industry I am a Captain on a King Air, and the way the industry looks I will be here for way too long.
No disrespect to many of you guys, but I have more Command time than most F/O's flying A320 or 737. My experience includes 4000 hrs, 3000 of which are command time. Also, we are flying in the most difficult areas and absolute minimal and often subpar equipment. Not something someone with an FMS, flying above weather can say.
I agree with everyone that paying for a type rating and buying time is not the answer as it encourages operators to squeeze more and more out of us a pilots. HOWEVER: maybe it's the ticket to a high paying job in the middle east or asia, where i'll be sitting at FL350 making US$80000 tax free??? instead of making Can$ 40000 before tax, living in a ****-hole up north where it got to be -55 celsius in windchill last winter and we still had to go fly!!! So you can imagine our situation in Canada....
I do carry a european passport and wonder if it might be better to get my JAA license instead??? or spend the money on type rating??? I would appreciate your opinions...
Thank you