"the bit that concerns me is "perform as a
co-pilot of a multi-engine turbine-powered
aeroplane certificated for operation with a
minimum crew of at least two pilots" etc....
This seems mad going through all of this and only being a copilot."
Tony. When you graduate from pilot school - assuming you have a job to walk into straight away with either an ATPL or MPL - you are a C0-Pilot anyway!!!
The point is who gets their foot in the door first? Who gets the head start? Who gets the interview? Is it ATPL guy with a year in a cessna or the MPL person with Airbus A320 rating. (or whatever the plane is). The MPL guy then goes on extra courses whilst still building hours, getting paid, getting experience etc.
Btw, the MPL flight school I'm talking about, one of the current trainees has been given an Interview with Gulf Air. So obviously a major airline like that doesn't think the MPL is "Plastic".
And also, The MPL school I'm talking about will be opening another centre in Sharjah with 8 more to come around asia. Something tells me that with emirates order of 40 odd A380's and tons of 777-300ERs on order, gulf air and Eithad ordering planes left right and centre, there must obviosly be a business case for another MPL centre to be open in UAE.