scameron, you don't want advice, you want endorsement of your actions. You trot out some pretty weak arguments, but it boils down to the fact that your just bloody lazy. So you thought you would jump on here and appeal to the "long in the tooth" ppruners to get approval. Wrong move boy. You and all the pay for a TR children who just want to get there quickly just don't seem to realise the damage you ARE doing to the industry. You talk about Xanadu, well we had it, until you fools decided that paying for your training was the way "to get there quickly". It can't be that hard to understand, surely?
"I am going ahead with paying for my own type rating, whither some of you other there like it or not, on 250 hours with a measly FAA CPL/ME/IR doesn't really cut much mustard out there, some of you may have forgotten that."
And just where do you think all the rest of us came from? Born with 5000 hours? No, its called hard work and persistance.
"All I've got is 'don't do it' and 'sellout' from people who already appear to be in a nice situation."
How the hell do you think we got to be in a "nice situation"? See above re: hardwork, persistance etc
"This is meant to be an informed debate" No its not, its a plea for sympathy and sanction.
The BA cadets are completely different from you, the airline is paying for their training. Of course 9/11 changed the face of the industry, just not the way your trying to use it as an excuse for your actions.
Nosey