There certainly have been some brilliant posts from many countering this idea of "working for free". As mentioned by High Wing Drifer yesterday, the current state of play is surely driving away some of the best and most suitable candidates for professional pilot positions.
Even being left with only a break even amount of money at the end of the month (let alone massive debt) for long periods can have serious personal and social effects (relationships etc. etc.). If we are dealing with the possibilty of a generation of professional pilots that are heavily in debt, and who are, in being prepared (or through an erosion of conditions) to work either for free or for very low returns then surely the industry is on shaky ground. Combine issues of profound long term debt (and an inability to get out of debt due to poor Ts & Cs) with fatigue and increasing pressures such as tight turnarounds etc. and some not-so-nice possibilties start to emerge.
If some people here are determined to work for free or at rates seriously less than the market rate, why not suck up your single-minded ambition (which seems to me to be centered solely on flying jets for major airlines) and search out a flying position in which you can donate your flying skills to causes other than the M O'Leary's of this world? (these people are certainly not working for free) Surely this would be more rewarding? Maybe get out of flying altogether and work for a decent charitable cause.
The flying world seems vast to me and is not limited to flying 738s around Europe. Maybe some reassessment and some new horizons are in order for the "work for free" posters here.
EF.
BTW - if anyone does happen to know a "work for free" FI in West Yorkshire could you please PM me. I am about 10 hrs into my PPL and it would be great to cut back on costs. Come to think of it, s/he could come and pick me up from my place and drive me to and from the airfield. After lessons we could go to the pub (their shout of course)... Wow, I'm kind of liking this idea.
