Time Traveller, couldn’t agree more.
I know about a German company having recruited pilots not only with self paid TR but also made students pay for their flight hours during supervision until it was finally decided that they were permanently hired. And guess they had more than enough applicants. This happened already in the 1990s.
Many pilots complain that glorious days in aviation are past. This kind of addiction to become pilot under all means is only one brick (though a big one) in the wall why pilots’ reputation deteriorated over the years.
Human society works like nature in terms of predators and prey. Predators like the well known smart Irish guy might have thought how much easy prey is there amongst students to do everything for their dream and he took the chance. However, it’s not him to blame rather than these willing to become prey.
There is a saying “pilots are the pilot’s worst enemy”.
NOR
Time Traveller, to complete the university analogy:
I agree paying university tuition fees could be likened to paying for the ATPL course. Consequently paying TR could be compared to a graduate paying for the office furnishings to get the job.