This whole thread shows the ignorance of many people on here.
This practice has been going on for many many years and is very symbiotic. It certainly doesn't take advantage of the pilot who by law cannot be payed unless a CPL is held. Owen Money's post shows what it's all about.
I applied (and was usuccessful) for a season of tugging at Saltby in 1990. I applied, having not quite completed my PPL, so it's not surprising they took someone who already had the qualifications. I was young free and single at the time, and I'd have loved to have done it. I'd hazzard a guess, that if I had, with the 400-600 hours I'd have gained so early on, that I'd have gone on to get a CPL. As it was, being an agricultural student at the time, I went on to get a job on a local farm. I then married and had kids ect (as you do). My flying ambitions never took flight so to speak, and I've had to be content with infrequent and ill afforded flying ever since. I'm in a better position now as I own my own aircraft and can fly a lot more than I used to, but I'm still a long way from my original dream.
Glider tugging, parachute dropping, (and in the past instructing) as a PPL were the ways to build hours quickly for free. It was, and is, a stepping stone to a career. As such it's priceless to a young pilot! Why oh why, in this age, is everything measured by money? And why are any unpaid jobs always considered as exploitation? No wonder there are so many dead enders around who won't get off their ar$es unless they get well over their benefit payments! grrrrrrrrrr,
SS