Salary sacrifice could be the go?
ATM you pay for your endorsement which takes about 4-5 weeks with NO pay? is that right. Lets Call it 5 weeks with out pay around 5k plus 30k plus accomadation and food etc... another 2k....= Around 37k.
If the
VB changes and bond you then you should be employed from day one of endorsement, accomadation provided, plus no 30k etc....
What does a starting FO in the first year gross?? around 70k? second and third year around 90k? so about 250k over three years.
If you salary sacrifice your endorsement over three years the money you save on tax and the interest you would have to pay on your loan would be huge.
Now I am no fan of paying for an endorsement, training should be a cost just like fuel is, but the problems J* and
VB are having keeping pilots is it's too easy for a pilot to leave these days because they dont owe anything, there is nothing tieing them to the job(unless they start paying more
). So bonding you 30k for three years would more than likly make you stay til then. Also if you pay 30k then you are more than likley wanting a good return for your money then some who hasn't paid and is bonded.
So really there are three options
1. Bond
2. Company loan ie. reduced pay
3. or pay for your endorsement
They all have positives and negatives.
Bonding with out reduced pay is they way to go IMO. Company invests in you and you return that investment with loyalty.