I know that Skyman is being very forceful with his post but you have to say that he has a point. It's not just that we are expected, by many carriers, to fork out for a TR these days but many of our colleagues are prepared to work for buttons once they have the said type endorsed on thier hot little licences. And the result? Our pay, terms & conditions are rapidly deteriorating once we are flying on line.
I recently 'bit the bullet' after years of trying to find a jet operator to give me a break, & being determined not to self fund a type ratng, & I capitulated for a 757 rating. Fantastic isn't it that My Travel are now laying off 156 guys all with loads of hours on 757/767s! The result: I am £20,000 lighter & still no nearer to a job on the medium haul jets. Possibly even further away than flying my T.P. around the night skys.
What about the guys who paid for other types & end up actually flying the line? Well, some have gone out to Asia to earn about £1,000 a month! Others have joined the ranks of Skyeurope to earn £800 a month! Some are even paying for the 'privilege' of flying an aircraft with 148 fare paying passengers on board. What about terms & conditions of employment? Well, try asking the Ryanair contract guys who get no sick pay, no pension plan, no holiday entitlement, no loss of licence, who have to pay to stay away from base all out of their own salary.
You see the tip of the iceberg is us paying for our ratings. It's all down hill once you have been employed because our caring sharing employers are fully aware that we are prepared to prostiute ourselves & our profession for that left hand seat. No replies please from the snotty nosed, short trouser brigade. When you grow up & have a living to make to pay for your mortgage & a decent family life & you are not still relying on 'The Bank of Dad' to fund you you will realise that by paying for our own type ratings we have seriously damaged our long term careers.
