It's not my petition, I'm just passing on the fact that the petition exists. Personally, I feel that this requires re-wording and targeting from a different angle.
I strongly agree with you in many respects that it is an industry issue. However, I also feel that student pilots, particularly those undertaking full-time courses, should be eligible for the same automatic student loan that any Tom/Dick/Harry can claim for their course in Art History/Media Studies/American Studies etc.
I'm sure that looking at it from an economics point of view (though I count myself as no expert) loans to at least cover the cost of living whilst undertaking the course, resulting in professionally qualified individuals who statistically, I'm sure, contribute far more to the society than many other courses which are supported unquestioningly.
Lest we forget, how much of the taxpayers' money goes missing when a graduate of a Mickey Mouse course remains unemployed and therefore not obliged to pay back the (now extremely substantial) loan? Whilst still, of course, claiming for their cost of living along the way.
Scroggs - couldn't agree more in what you're saying about petitioning the airlines. Unfortunately, whilst more of us are falling in love with the dream every day, those jokers are rubbing their hands together and can see us coming from a long way off. I guess that's business, and that's life.