Westmoorland/Homeguard
Thanks for the replies. Its a shame these discussions are only for our own amusement, but it helps to get things off one's chest.
I agree the 'Safety Regulation Group' is not responsible for securing instructor pay and working conditions, they should be respnsible for safety issues ...and maintaining Standards. I trust this is what they will do.....rather than lowering them in order to prop up the industry. Let's wait and see?!! Don't let's pretend that safety is anything to do with this. The industry is in crisis and clutching at straws trying to justify its actions by looking to the past rather than thinking what will be best for the future.
I accept that the old system worked in its day.....In those days 700 hours SEP were valued by potential airline employers. Now,generally, they are not. Airlines now prefer an integrated student who will pay for a type rating. This is why there is a shortage of instructors. Lets not kid ourselves that most of the PPL instructors of old, didn't want to be airline pilots...they just built a few hours instructing on a PPL before playing their hand. Of course, some did hold a genuine desire to instruct for the long term, as I do.... with my CPL. The reason I have a CPL is that I was told by the aviation establishment that it was essential to have a CPL to be good enough to work as an instructor. Forgive me if I don't trust the law makers now they want to change things back because it suits them!
If the flying clubs pay peanuts they will get monkeys ......or alternatively someone who doesn't need to be paid a decent wage. e.g. ex airline/military pilot or wealthy PPL. People in my situation will be forced out of the market because we are unable to compete. I predict there will no longer be a shortage of instructors when the number of PPL students reduces. I believe this will happen if there is no benefit to getting a SEP PPL as the first step to a commercial licence. This problem will be exaserpated if the number of PPL FI's increases (not forgetting the microlight and MPL alternatives which are already out there or on the way).
Who do you think we will all be training in this new Utopia? PPL's who want to be PPL/FI's? I guess we could all check each other out to keep current.
I wonder how I would be received by pilots on the airline forums if I started spouting off that I should be let loose on a 747 because I thought it was too much bother to do the course they had been through.
I think we instructors must have self esteem issues!