Gentlemen,
If a company has a choice of product then they will choose the most reliable/reputable one first almost every time, all costs being equal. It remains exactly the same when an airline takes on a 200 hour pilot. As the product of a reputable integrated course, delivered by a reputable flying school, the pilot is a known entity to the airline. They are familiar with all aspects of his training and as such can rely on him/her fitting in and performing to a specific standard. That is not to say that a self-improver/modular pilot will be any different; they merely remain unknown and unproven entity to the airline. Therefore the risk to said airline is vastly reduced by taking on the tried and tested product of the integrated flight school.In this case, with all pilots holding the same qualifications required for the job, the cost to the company in choosing between a modular and an integrated pilot is nil and as such 9 times out of ten the latter would appear to be a more reliable aquisition. Not necessarily a better one by any means but a safer prospect.
This is what OAT and CTC provide the cadet with: a nice safe brand to sell to the airlines. Hence why you will find that the majority of those flying for airlines (who haven't come from a military background and are from certain generations) are from these schools. Having worked for two uk airlines who are established in the industry, I can count the number of self improvers that I have met on one hand. Frankly, I have nothing but admiration for them as it is a route that must be frought with difficulties and doubt and incredibly tough to deal with given the lack of backup that, having other people going through with you on the integrated course, provides. That said, those of you who are naive enough to think that integrated cadets have an easy life, you don't know how wrong you are; it is a high pressure-filled, time-critical environment that taxes most that are lucky enough to be a part of it.
It is not a case of one being better than another so those of you with elitist attitudes or chips on your shoulder I suggest you take a step back for a while and take a slightly wider look at life. Good luck to everyone though....it's a fantastic job and no matter how annoying the training, it only gets better, BELIEVE ME!
