Tugging Pilot
With regards to the hotly disputed topic of Self-funded Type Ratings, I would like to add another twist. This I hope to do by posing the following question. Is this a predominantly British/Irish and American phenomenon? Or are airlines from the European Continent, South Africa, Australasia, Canada and the like also employing such tactics? For my part I believe that this is something that originated from the USA (as do a lot of things, one could cynically argue, that happen to prove to be detrimental to working conditions).
I ask this for this reason........ however before I ask this I would like to state the following. My question is not based on, nor does it arise from, a racist or a protectionist point of view. I merely wish to explore this subject further as, I SUSPECT, there may be more to it than meets the eye and as a result, we MAY all be 'barking up the wrong tree' (tackling the issue from the wrong perspective).
I digress....The reason that I ask this is because I want to see if there is a correlation between the arrival of the prevalence of the Self Funded Type Rating Pilot that we all despise and the advent of JAA and budget airlines. In other words I would like to explore the suggestion that, if budget airlines were unable to ‘cherry pick’ pilots - and therefore, through market forces, forced to invest in training to a greater degree - would this fashion of self funding have become so popular?
I ask this for reasons. Firstly, to start what I hope will be an intellectual debate on this subject (am I asking too much). Secondly, to discover if other nations airlines are resorting to such tactics (not whether pilots from other nations are buy type ratings – that is another matter entirely). Lastly, to investigate whether we are unjustly blaming these, low hours/begging-for-that-first-job, pilots for something that may have come about because of other factors. If we manage to direct our energies to the root of the problem, we may be able to achieve our aims with more success.
I say this with hope and anticipation. Let the debate begin.
Tugging Pilot