Is anyone concerned at the sheer number of pilots Ryanair appear to be interviewing and then offering places to.
As far as I can make out, the answer is yes - except for those who
should be concerned about it, namely those who are going to part with their money.
Just in case you missed it, for Ryanair this is a profit centre.
There cannot be too many trainees, because they are a source of revenue and an
unpaid reserve of pilots to be brought into the company when they are required. You don’t get paid until they become productive. They just wait and worry; if they contact somebody for info the resulting conversation is frequently offensive and aggressive (because, even if you don't realise it by then, your are already entrapped
and expendable). To spell it out in even clearer terms:
You pay up front for the rating. If you fail at any point you get no refund.
You do not get paid during training. Your contract is not with Ryanair but with at least one, if not two, intermediary organisations. This makes legal action hard to contemplate.
You only get verbal explanations or promises of what the future holds. You do not get to see a Ryanair contract. You do not get written salary scales (not least because they don’t exist). You certainly are not guaranteed (in writing) to get a job, nor are you given a timescale within which you will receive pay.
It is into this environment that ALL cadet pilots enter and part with their money. Few for whom this has gone very badly wrong have had the honesty and courage to come here and explain what happened (but there are a couple if you look carefully).
Bottom line: you could (though this is exceptional) remain unline-trained up to 18 months after paying for the type rating. You discover that there is no pay until you are almost finished line-training. You will be bonded for line training (to further prevent you from leaving). You will be paid at lower percentages of pay than other pilots for up to 23 months. Finally, when you reach the end of this game, a percentage of the successful trainees will be told that there are no permanent Ryanair positions available, but that they will consider you as a contractor – and you will be given a “take it or leave it” offer.
If you leave, your slot will be filled by another who pays upfront for the rating ….. and the cycle continues to contribute to Ryanair’s profits and unpaid reserve of cannon fodder.
The line of candidates for this exploitation and madness is both long and willing. It may take some time for the message to get through.