Camelhair,
No matter how many times I say what you have said, no-one listens. You are aboslutely right my friend and that is what I am trying to prevent!
Carbheaton,
I dont wish to " see the old regime return " . I only wish to see the line drawn firmly in the sand, right before the point at which you have to buy a type rating. I have said clearly that bonding is the best option IMHO and bonding is nowhere near what you mention as the 'old regime'.
I can see your point about closing doors to those not able to get in on raw ability, yes if you pass a TR then you have met the grade but lets face it, those with the raw ability will get in regardless!. You fail however to see what CamlHair summed up so well. I draw the line before an SSTR, you draw the line after an SSTR, there are already people drawing the line way above that by buying 500 hours line training. Soon enough, if we dont do anything about it, people will start buying command courses and we are screwed then!
By getting rid of SSTRs, we are not closing doors to anyone (except maybe those who after passing their IR after the third attempt have no option!). If we keep SSTRs however, then we close doors to those who dont have the money but do have the ablility. Which as a pilot or even passenger would you prefer? When the industry needs pilots, pilots will be hired. It just happens that those that would have otherwise bought TRs and got straight onto jets, get to take the TP jobs and then when the industry hires again, they get their chance. WHATS WRONG WITH THAT?? You get paid all the way, you dont have to outlay rediculous amounts of money and if you have the ability then you will get the chance. How fairer can it get??
People who buy SSTRs are shooting themselves in the foot as well as the rest of their colleagues. They have big loans to pay back early on in their career and quite often recieve highly reduced Ts and Cs in the first few years and management most definatley play on that for them and the more experienced pilots in the comapny who get threatened with replacement by cheaper labour. If they went via TPs, they wouldnt have to pay for a type rating, pay back the associated bond and they wouldnt be on any less pay!!! For the record, I was earning more as a single crew MEP/IR pilot than many UK entry level f/o's and I wasnt paying back a loan for a TR to the bank!! While I can see your point carbheaton, no offense intended but your logic doesnt quite add up!