Hi OBK.
Paying to fly is not flying for a living, there's no living involved! It also encourages the majoirty of other airlines to introduce schemes like this and in my opinion will probably reduce pay in the long run as more an more wannabes offer to sacrifice huge amounts of hard earned money.
I certainly do understand you point of you, but you haven’t been giving me any answer to my question. If not paying, then what??
Paying to fly is absolutely wrong, but that’s not something that I am planning to do for the rest of my career, that is simply just something I would consider if something doesn’t happen soon. Because right now I am having a B737 type rating, but no job. And since more and more companies won’t settle with the rating alone, I only have two options. The first one is to wait, and for every day that goes I become less interesting to the companies - and the proficiency check is absolutely not for free either. And the last option is to buy the line training, and start flying, and most likely I will get a job after this…
I am not making the rules I am just following them. Who has made the rules?? - The experienced pilots/Airlines, not me, I am new in the business!
And again - 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 other end…
I would really be amused to know what all the so called good moralists would do now if they won 2 million euros at the lottery...?
Let me gess.... TR and line training ?!!!
Good question???
Here is a good example of where the aviation industry is going.
http://www.solid-airline.nl/fo.jpg
Frustrating - yes, but what can I do about it?? I can refuse to pay for my own rating and line training, but then I might as well get myself another career, because these are the rules now.. Unless somebody inside the companies do something about it!
Concerning the lawyer/doctor or whatever. Paying for a practice is not the same as paying for an education. I believe it’s comparable with a pilot buying his own plane, to start a company.
But I do agree that it is a matter of paying for a good future, which is very comparable to paying for TR + line training.
/BAP