Daniel is in the lions den!
Hey guys, like i said, i'm not getting embroiled in this and all the arguments have been well milked on this website. All I can generally say to the responses is read my original post again, carefully.
I'm just repeating myself now in a different way.
All I was doing was balancing the argument that other airlines are still recruiting and people do move to other airlines. I wasn't looking to get into t's and c's, defend FR or attack FR. Flaps5Speed180, good post and I hear you loud and clear. Maybe things could evolve that way but honestly, I'm not coming from that angle. The t's and c's and my financial future is scarey to be frank. I just hope I can survive. It is terrible how pilots are treated in 'relative' comparison to other industries of a similar stature. For me personally the money isn't that bad. It's the training debt burden that offsets it! Man, I have no idea anymore why I am sat here typing way, i certainly intend to stop in a few minutes and go for a pint and catch up with the mrs!
Bonernow, 2008 is just over a month a way,
is about 12 months away.
It isn't a case of "oh there's no places, we're stuck where we are" or "oh, there's way too many pilots wanting to leave a certain airline so how will i ever be able to move on as the market is saturated." Its down to the individual to achieve it for themselves. If they want to! That's it! That's all I was saying.. Where the rest comes from I don't know.... But this is pprune afterall..
To the peeps that think 'my type' of industry entrant are single handedly responsible for destroying the industry t's and c's for everyone else, well that is one perspective on the 'who's doing this to us' crys and one that i accept. YES! I take my 'share' of responsibility!
In any event that isn't just down to 'FR', it's down to the lo co philosophy in general &.... there are many other angles too! Deregulation, which gave so many more jobs and an explosion of expansion in the aviation industry, in itself is one! Free market forces took the legacy airlines out of the driving seat and the lo co's now have a massive slice of the pie.. This is what the EU wanted and this is what the EU got. The good, the bad and the ugly.
Sorry to the old boys as well but another angle are senior captains that have their retirement money all sorted and move on from their legacy airlines to the lo co's for a happy last few years on lower pay. The lo co's get highly experienced guys at cut down prices and thus starting the cancer down from the top. After all pay is hierarchical. This isn't my argument but a perspective others have highlighted on here and one i give credence to as well. Absolutley no disrespect to the old boys (and gals) who do this. Like I said everyone does what they feel is necessary. I'm just analyising the situation and will not 'blame' any creed of pilot for decaying t's and c's.
Yet another angle are the guys who are already in the industry. Most of them want to stay out of the 'gaze' and get on with there jobs. Fair enough! But if one says that tomorrow ALL guys simultaneously stood up and said "oh.. no jack i'm not paying for my type rating, you fund me". Then yes, airlines would have to have a major rethink. But then if the guys already in there (and afterall, i'm nothing yet, you are working for the airlines, you have 'influence') simultaneously turned around and said "urm what the devil do you think you are doing charging newbies for TR's?! Stop it now and give us better t's and c's or else we will strike" Then equally if not more so, the airlines would have to have a big rethink. Am I happy plunging myself further into the red for a TR? (Please no off spin arguments of become an FI, oh you should have saved up or go ferry a seneca across the atlantic.. FI great, but in all instances i would have had to have gone bankrupt! (Yes I'm one of those!)
To someone else who said i was typical of guys who thinks i'm going to get my ATPL and walk straight into a more 'cosey' airline. Again, read what I said.. If I was then I would be reading what I said again. When did I say was ever going to leave FR?
&.. ok so I'm an 'employee' not a 'business'? Well at the moment i guess I'm neither as I won't have any chance of a contract offer until I've successfully completed my line check.. Even then I'd be likey to get a Brookfield contract, which means that I would be a business technically speaking. Be it a sole trader or a Ltd Company. But all that crap to one side. I was saying, its a dog eat dog world. I know the 'there'll be more peeps waiting to take my place' argument as well.. its just endless..
FR has 'happened' to be the only airline that has given me a shot at what i actually want to do. After months and months of networking (and i have some good contacts in other airlines), phoning, letters etc etc etc. Chat's with senior guys, some invitations to get back to certain airlines in so many months time.. First time passes in everything, 92% ATPL average blar blar and.. no other interviews.
I have no right to a job because of that. But I'm a begger! Not a chooser in this instance! I would have quite happily crawled on one knee from john o groats to lands end for one. I'm that committed!
I am certainly not risking 2 years of absolute commitment to flying, personal sacrifices and all the money the bank has lent me (meaning certain bankrupsy) just for the sake of peeps who are already in there. The kamikaze pilots were a strange and resolute bunch but I don't have such devotion. If it was for my mum (bless her) then yeh, i'd even die, but for you.. I will do what i can from the inside.
Anyway.. If this generates aload of 'responses' then thats cool, i guess that's what this place is for. A good ineffective 'vent'. Fairplay. Well thats my vent done. Not that I'm venting at you though.
Sincerely, all the best to everybody!
