Dear Striker5;
Our system does involve priority. That is the only way it would work. Airlines adopt a similar seniority structure internally with pilots. So Alpha has priority over Bravo, Bravo over Charlie. And of course, Delta had priority over Echo. It makes more sense to do it that way because the faster the previous course can finish, the more instructors and aircraft are available for the next course. But if a class has priority, it does not mean the other class does not fly at all. In fact, we almost always have overlap in the flight line, and the priority system seems to be working well.
In your particular case, we were going through a fleet change, and we had only one or two aircraft at the time, so when we gave Alpha priority, you were essentially grounded for a few weeks. I make no apology for this and I still believe it was the right thing to do.
With regards to Charlie flying the Diamonds, please remember that Charlie cadets were PPL holders, and we felt that having them fly the DA40’s, IN THE CIRCUIT ONLY, was an acceptable risk. Again, every hour they flew, was an hour that class Delta did not have to wait.
Faced with the same situation, I would have done the exact same thing. As tough a period as it as it was, I never felt such dedication, commitment and loyalty from the Ayla staff, and the vast majority of our cadets.
I wish you luck in your training and your future career.
Marwan