Kremin,
"They have seen the degradation of the profession by airline managements over the last 25 years and quite rightly want no part of it."
Crap. Most are selecting alternative professions owing to the huge increase in pilot training cost. I commenced flying training 21 years ago when the relative cost of a CPL was much lower than today. Governing body corporatization, fuel, insurance, air nav charges have all a part to play in todays shortage of pilots.
The salary levels of
VB pilots is not that far removed from those of QF shorthaul or the old Ansett.
When I learnt to fly, not a single mate of mine would have knocked back the prospect of one day flying a 737 for 180000 bux instead of 200000 plus bux.
And BTW, what was happening 25 years ago that signaled the degradation of the airline profession. 20 hours a month while running your horse stud full time was proving too diff