Having spent almost my whole flying career to date as a contract pilot (but never employed by Rishworth) I have a few observations to make...
1) If you register with an agency (there is of course no obligation to do so), you will get contacted by them for all positions they feel are relevant to you (even the sh
e ones). So there is no point getting your knickers in a twist if you don't like what they have to offer...just say NO. If you do not wish to be contacted by them at all then tell them so.
2) The pilot community is subject to the same laws of supply and demand as any other profession. Pay rates/conditions should reflect this...if they don't then the Airline will not find enough crews to fly their aeroplanes. To illustrate this point I have just had to pay a car mechanic £400 for half a day's work!!! For example differences between average pay rates in JAR states and the rest of the ICAO community can be substantial (rightly so). This is also influenced by the higher cost of living in Europe.
3) In my experience, 'good' agencies will work hard to negotiate decent pay rates. After all if they do not attract the required candidates then they don't make any money at all, so taking a bigger 'cut' does not actually make any sense. So if Rishworth are doing this they are not very smart. The agency take their fee and that is that. If you dont like the figure they offer (whatever their cut) then dont sign the contract.
4) Iakklat...surely the very fact that this guy got a job with a reputable airline after paying for his training (and by circuits I presume you mean base check) justifies this expense? Why should an airline type rate, carry out a base check and complete line training for a contractor with no experience on type? I was fortunate enough to have a type rating provided but know full well that if I were looking career advancement today, investing in a type rating would be something that I would seriously have to consider. I of course presume that Rishworth made him fully aware of the terms and expected expenditure before he started his training.
Better the devil you know.
