pay not attention to camelhair
the guys a jerk. i can understand him being pissed of with ryr due to the treatment of us pilots and cabin crew, but i think the pay is pretty good compared to other airlines -camelhair calls ryr "the lowest jet salary in Western Europe". thats rubbish.
the pay for the first 6-9 months is rubbish however. you wont get much during your training, along with zero sector pay (which now makes up around 60% of my take home pay). yes it's a struggle up till a time when you've signed a contract and on full sector pay.
but if you're at a point where you're trying to get into an airline for your first job, then i'd assume you've had at least 6 months of struggle without a job anyway. i now take home over 3k a month. thats about 2500 more than when i was doing temping work, about 2000 more than when i was a flight instructor and around 1500 more than some of my mates who are flying for airline who pay less. YES- camelhair, believe it or not there are some salaries in western europe less than ryr, even on jets.
my advice to those pilots whose heads are stuck in the 80's and 90's where pilots where celebrities and on huge salaries is to be pissed off in your own time and quit moaning about it, bringing down others and attempting to put them off ever thinking about starting a career in aviation.
if you stay out of the politics and treat ryanair as they fully expect to be treated (i.e. stay there for a few years, gain command, have a couple more years on the left then leave) then they are a great airline to join. who else takes on cadets with almost zero hours, puts them in brand new 737-800s, pays them well (ok, after the first 9months) and gives them the chance to be captains after 3 years.
the initial payment of a type rating is peanuts. look at how much youve paid already and go for it. its definitely worth it. i know i havent helped steer this thread away from the argument it was turning into! sorry about that Mr Horgy! just pm me and ill answer any questions you've got as best i can.
b.bear