Just to go back to the original topic of the thread...
Heard from a very reliable source four days ago that the number for 2008 has been set at 120. No idea about the breakdown i.e. TRSS vs DE vs Cadets.
And now to spin the thread back towards BALPA... Looking around the crew room, there's no doubt a lot of pilots qualified in the "pay for everything yourself" era of aviation. Not talking about TR here, but just Ab Initio or Modular costs (as opposed to the cadet/ex-RAF schemes of old). Yet a couple of weeks ago in a BALPA Newsletter, only ONE of the 12 or so candidates to the executive council talked about the financial worries of recent entrants who had to pay a fortune for their training. How do we afford mortgages AND training loans? How can we contribute enough to the underfunded pensions schemes to makes sure we have a half-decent retirement?
Want to stop the dilution of BALPA membership at EZY? How about spending a little less time wondering how big a yacht you can afford and a little more time addressing the concerns of a significant portion of new entrants? Ahhh, now I feel better
P