grasshopper,
thank you for that concise and informative post, it was very helpful.
Now i know i'm not posted at swanwick so will not speak for them but would imagine that they would like pilots there , who WANT to be there , either because they are curious about what we do, or they have had questions that have been niggling at them for a long time, or just enjoy imparting their experiences and knowledge to like minded professionals NOT because they are doing it to make a profit and are not the least bit interested. however , it is VOLUNTARY! . If you dont wish to go, dont , but please dont post negative comments on what is a very worthwhile cause
Thanks very much for your cooperation