Something I have always noticed in General Aviation (my revier) is how quick many people are to sell themselves and others short. The only way forward they see is to go creeping to Management, letting any thoughts of solidarity fly out the window. Well, it can seem like the 'low risk' strategy. Much later it might become clear that it was the wrong choice, but it's usually too late then. Ever turn down a proposed trip as too risky or perhaps illegal as planned, only to have some bright young thing leap into the gap without thinking? I have!
A point that CHC & P has raised is very pertinent: Where else can one go?
I was pretty well stuck in Nigeria with no papers for Greater Europe (just those for the part the Romans rejected) and no 'full' ICAO license but just a Nigerian ATPL issued on the basis of a manky old FAA ATP (not given any cred, right or wrong as that fact may be).
Too, even after nearly being shot three different ways, at least two of which would have really spoilt my entire day, I still stuck around! Go figure.
I reckon the entire process of getting a full CAA JAR-ATPL (Airplane) will have run just about 11 months, minimum, by the time it's over. That is from starting school in London in early November to now heading back to the UK to do some flight training for a Commercial Pilot Licence and an Instrument Rating. (The show-stopper is that one must do an observed IR check; it is no good just b*ggering off to the States to do a simulator check and calling that good enough. You need an observer who is usually unavailable and if he were then it would run you a cool $8 000 or so to have him come over from Gatwick to the USA.) Once I have the CPL and the IR then I can use the sim check to get a full ATPL.
Obviously, no sane person, and probably not even a loon such as I, would volunteer for this short of losing their job rather comprehensively. (Warning: Do NOT make jokes with Germans, especially stupid ones! What? Everyone but me knew that already? Oh.) No, they would rather accept the Management point of view, that the Isolo Gun Club have probably called it a day so that Kevlar curtains and a two-way radio are enough to be one's life on. Any lingering doubts, well, Star is cheap and after just two or three life, even in Isolo, looks much rosier.
Along with that 'how to boil a frog' thing, there is something else: your frog looks around to see 20 other frogs all sat there percolating, when he thinks, 'Hey, things here must be okay! Look at all the company.'
Maybe that is changing now, with more guys running away, but all the companies will have to do is drop the minimum hours required for command and then stand back from the stampede inbound. Wanna bet that wouldn't work? Faster and cheaper than trying to sort out the basic mess, eh?