As an instructor i can let anyone interested in the klm uk scheme know exactly what's involved.
The main problem with the scheme is the way in which the cabair bosses treat their dedicated and professional instructors. Everything that Honest Frank has to say is sadly the way it is. Morale is at an all time low at most of the schools and i dread to think what it must be like at Elstree.
The scheme sounds wonderful when you read about it in pilot or flight but when you finally get out at cranfield and start to instruct it's a different ball game altogether. The problem here is that it is too late at this stage as you are bonded for the next 2 years to instructing.
What it fails to say in the contract is that you pay for your Instrument Rating when you join klm uk and the bill for this is £12,000! This is based on only 10 hours in the aircraft maximum. Any more and you have to pay for it. On joining the airline you are deducted £333 per month for the first 3 years. This means that you are getting £4000 a year less than everyone else and there is no option on how you repay it.
In the past years instructors have left the scheme before their time is up because they cannot stand it anymore. There have been 2 further departures in recent months as the pay cuts were considered to be the last straw. You will spend close to 3 years at cabair from start to finish plus a further 3 at klm uk so i would advise anyone entering in to it to make sure they know what they are doing. 6 years is a very long time to be tied into any contract.
The pay scheme is a joke too. In order to get around the minimum wage you get payed for 4 days a week but you are "advised" to work a fifth day voluntarily. You only get paid for this extra day if you fly a certain number of hours a month. This means that most bad weather months cost you extra money in petrol for going in on that fifth day and working for nothing! Not to mention that as a sponsored instructor you will receive a reduced wage which basically goes towards your instructor upgrade training.
If you want some advice for the interview then do not let on that you have any concerns about pay and conditions as they will not want to know. Also, you will be asked if you mind working this extra day and also if you will work more than 48 hours a week. Yes, you can probably guess which candidates will receive automatic letters of regection.
The one good point is that if you have worked for cabair then future employers will feel sorry for you as they all know what they are like. My advice would be to pay for your training yourself and if you must instruct for cabair under the scheme then read up on employment law and join balpa immediately. Take your contract to a specialist and get them to tell you how to get out of it should/when you feel the need to do so.
The best thing to do is go along to elstree and speak to the current instructors, that is, if there are any left!
PS i believe Honest Frank is correct to assume the identity of the most recent escapee.