From Aircraft "By the way, it is not necessarily true that an airline will have a higher standard of pilot if they weren't to charge for such things."
I must agree. Since when did paying for anything (application / endorsement) mean you were a bad/inexperienced/ pilot? If I'm not mistaken, we all paid for our training - except the military types. Because we paid, does that make us all bad eggs who are jumping the cue??
Isn't paying for a type rating (as unpalatable as it is) just an extension to our training? How many here have had a GA boss say "come work for me flying my twins - oh you don't have a twin endorsement?? don't worry I'll cover that!" NOT MANY I BET!
Don't get me wrong - I would rather have the cash in my pocket than in theirs, but lets get real - and just in case you haven't read it somewhere else on this forum - supply and demand.
You can sit there with the attitude that the World/J*/
VB OWE you something because you're a pilot, or you can accept the conditions on offer at the time, and make something out of it. Why are the majors expected to pay for your rating, when every other rating/training you have conducted in the past has been self funded?
Do hospitals pay for Doctors to go to Uni??
"Hello hospital, I've done a few splints, put on a few bandages and dressed a pretty nasty paper cut. I see you are advertising for qualified Doctors - no, I'm not fully qualified, but if you pay for my degree, I'd love to work for you."
Paying for everything sucks - if you are the payee, but is great if you are the company/shareholders.
It is a brave new world.