My real anger is reserved for those who, having paid for their training, announce (like the originator of another recent thread) that they'll go on working for an airline for little or no pay. That is what really devalues the pilot's job. I can't understand why a person would do this, but it seems that they are out there.
Scroggs
Maybe, just maybe they love the job so much that they would do anything to get it or stay in it.
I hate the idea of having to pay for ratings but it is a natural progression of this industry.
As Airborn said
It's a darn sight easier to bang on about principles when you already have a job.
Would you and all your colleagues in VS take a pay freeze for a year in order to pay for type ratings for new lads? Of course not, you look after your own but with rising fuel prices increasing wages etc etc an airline will try and save money somewhere.
Once again i reiterate that i hate that principle but if I had to I would have paid for my own rating beacuse i got sick and tired of waiting for the market to get better and wasted years doing so. Years that i could have been building P1, getting nearer command, maybe moving into medium/long haul buying a house when prices were lower, putting into a pension earlier etc etc.
I got lucky and my company paid for my rating but i did seriuosly investigate buying a course with line experience.
The other thing is that with the influx of foreign TYPE RATED pilots and employment in the EU effectively blocked off to British Pilots what is a guy gonna do.
To those who dont want to pay thats perfectly fine sit around and wait to see if the market to gets better as i did for over 5 years.
And for those who are thinking about it ask yourself this is a blue book better with a type rating in it and a few hours in or just saying CPL/IR?