Why not just go do the ATP?
Well there seem to be a few stumbling blocks:
1. It takes time to study and do the exams.
2. To do the ATP test you also need to have done a MCC and fly 500 hours as co-pilot on an Multi-crew aircraft.
3. And yes you need to go hire a Multi engine Turbine aircraft to do the flight test.
4. At the dismal rates pilots are paid - hardly anyone can afford that expense.
5. And yes I forgot to mention now that the operators are stuffed - they are not making the money to pay the pilots -
so yes they are in bigger sh!t
A rough guess on the cost estimate for one with the hours that will need to test:
MCC on a 1900 simulator is approx ZAR23 000.
The cost of rental of a BE20 or similar for roughly 2 hours provided you have the aircraft on your license - ZAR15 000 if you are lucky.
Now if you don't have the rating it will probably cost you around ZAR40 000 to get the rating - probably worth it to do the combined 1900 be20 rating and MCC at one of the bigger training centres.
Worst of all this exclude the cost of the actual test?
Where were the days when you could literally fly the hours and do the test in a Baron or Seneca?
So it is actually just getting more difficult for the PDI's to get anywhere without someone with a lot of financial backing - and for the CDI's it is impossible without committing to a training bond and as a result get screwed by the operators?
VG300