FO's paying to fly?

[BAP]

Hallo guys.

This is not the first time we see this discussion going on here on pprune, but it certainly doesn’t make it less interesting…

I will like to come with my point of view, since I am one of the “wannabes” who has bought a B737 type rating….

And first of all I will like to say that, I do agree with you. It is wrong, that you pay for your own rating! But why did I do it???
Yes simply because it is almost impossible to find a job in the GA business now a days - as a low timer! Okay there is still sightseeing flying etc. but the truth is that, these jobs will only last for a few months and you won’t accumulate more than maybe 50 hours on a season – So now you have 250 hours total, and then what? Yes you could wait another 8 moths, until the season starts again… And maybe after a few years you would have 400-500 VFR hours on a SEP… Still not enough, to get anywhere, as it looks now and has been looking for the past few years.
And trust me on this, because I know both former sightseeing pilots, experienced instructors who have bought a rating, simple because the good old career path isn’t present no more. And all are very skilled pilots, with great personalities.

I recall some of my former flight instructors telling us how they became airline pilots. And yes, they did some sightseeing flights and maybe some time on a small turboprop and was then hired by an airline. And to be honest, I really believe this would be a great way to start a pilot career, but again it is not possible, and why not. Yes okay you can still get the sightseeing job, but getting a job on a small turboprop requires you just as many hours as the big airlines requires, somewhere between 500 and 3000, with some experience on multi engine aircrafts… And how do you get that??

And if any of you experienced pilots out there, who doesn’t believe what I am saying then take yourself some time to look around in the business, and should find some jobs where a lowtimer with 200-300 hours total would qualify then please post here on Pprune…

Okay I believe I have made my point here… So back to the SSTR. Ask you self this question, and assume that you have just finished your training, and the job situation is as I just wrote. “Would you just sit and wait for 1,2,3 or who knows how many years before you get a chance of being employed without the rating?” Yes somebody does find jobs without having to pay for anything, but they do belong to the minority, and as a matter of fact there are more and more low timers giving up there dream because they can’t find a job, and they can’t afford a type rating, and this is not something I make up. And then they have lost not only a dream, but also a lot of money…
So continue with the question: “So now you hear that there is a very good chance of being employed on a large jet, if you pay for you own rating, hence you get a very good job and you get a chance to pay you loan back…” So what do you do??? If there are any of you experienced guys out there, knowing what to do, then please tell us!!!!

Why do we have to pay for our own rating, well because the airlines have decided to, NOT the low timers!! But can you blame the airlines – No not really, they are going through rough times, and if they have a chance of saving money they will do it. That’s called business!
Who is to blame then??? In my opinion it is the experienced pilots, you are the one sitting in FL330 smiling, and most of you don’t give a dame about your future colleagues. You should be the first to say, “ We don’t want our new colleagues to pay for there own ratings, stop hiring low timers with ratings, and select the ones who are skilled and who has the right personality for the company – And then offer them a job with a bond”
The experienced pilots are the only ones who can help us low timers, no one else! Some companies do just that, like for example Thomsonfly… And apparently low time pilots who is giving a chance are doing just fine onboard a big jet, or a small turboprop for that matter!!!

So stop blaming low timers, because we don’t have a choice. We are just doing whatever we can, in order to get a job! And if we have to pay for both the type rating and the line training we do it, not because we want to, but because that is our only option! Most of us have increased our loans in order to pay for this, so it is definitely not something we enjoy!!!

And what have happened now? Yes now a B737 rating is starting to become a part of the initial training and because of that, TRTOs are popping up everywhere, advertising for B737/A320 ratings. – Not because an airline requires it, but because that’s a way of earning money… So now there are so many low time pilots with a B737/A320 rating, that the rating simply isn’t enough. Because now the companies see an opportunity to get line trained pilots, instead of just selecting the skilled ones with the right personality… And what can the low time pilot do about it??? Yes, we can pay for the line training, and hope that this will help us. And yet again, the experienced pilots are the only ones who can stop it… Because low timers just do whatever it takes, otherwise you might never get a job… And don’t say that the low timers just have to stop paying, because there will always be someone who is willing to do so if he or she sees a job in the orther end…

And again, I am against paying for my own type rating as well as line training but I am also against that you have to pay for you education in the first place, because what makes a lawyer more important than a pilot??? And the lawyer doesn’t pay for his education…(Denmark) Again I believe that you should select the qualified people, and only educate the number of pilots required for the industry…

But, I want to fly for a living, so what choice do I have, but to pay??

That was my opinion, I hope some of you experienced pilots out there would like to comment it.
/BAP