Nuclear Weapon -thank god for the voice of reason. (never thought I would come across a context where ‘voice of reason’ and ‘nuclear weapon’ would appear in the same sentence!)
Many contributors to this site, I would suggest, have rather elastic principles and somewhat overly biased views.
There is the group that complain of the wealthy who set out to buy advancement of their aviation careers, but at the same time pay for private education for their own children. Presumably in part to give them an advantage in the education and future employment market over the rest of the kids.
There is the group of experienced professionals that criticise ‘newbies’ for paying for their TR, who, if starting out on their careers now would have very little choice if they wanted to progress. Would they flex their principles or abandon their chosen profession?
There is the group who think that everyone should start on a Tigermoth and gently work up through the ranks before sitting in a jet. Any professional pilot, worth their salt, when asked privately, will tell you that getting the first job is the hardest and take anything you can get. If asked publicly on these forums you will invite a lecture on your responsibilities to the current professionals to maintain their T&Cs. If Ryanair operated TPs, would the clamour for employment by them be any less?
There is the group that commonly say, the inexperience in the RH seat means that the aircraft is effectively being flown single crew. Are these the same people who complain of the pittance many RH seat occupants are being paid? Providing evidence of deteriorating T&Cs
One could go on, but essentially these are arguments by those safely tucked up in employment about having the same or better terms and conditions in a totally different environment to the one they entered, and blaming the young and new for undermining them.
“I find that principles have no real force except when one is well fed” - Mark Twain
There have always been many youngsters who would like to be and have had the ability to become professional pilots. Back along, a lucky few were selected. There were no opportunities for the unlucky ones, the majority, however suited or committed. Had there been other opportunities, no doubt the purchase of TR’s would have been endemic then, and probably even more restricted to the moneyed classes.
There remains a lucky few but now many of the others can progress if they can lay their hands on the cash by fair or foul means. They risk wasting the money, there are no guarantees. If they can adopt ways that they consider will lower the risk, why should they be criticised? Wish them good luck, it is unlikely they will change the world by their actions.
It is dramatic change in the industry over the last 5 to 10 years and not the degradation of principles that has eroded and continues to erode the T&Cs.
It is the experienced who have the power at their disposal to improve things, but understandably, they are not prepared to take the risks involved. It is safer and easier to blame the vulnerable and satisfy ones own conscience.
“We all live in the protection of certain cowardices which we call our principles” – Mark Twain
I wish Vortex T good fortune, he doesn’t deserve to disappear down the plughole as some of the comments on this thread possibly imply. Wherever he ends up he can look back and console himself, if necessary, with the fact that he left no stone unturned. Unlike those who will say “If only I…….
(My belated thanks to Mark Twain for his wisdom on the nature of principles)