zerotohero - the tragedy of your foolish posts is you actually do not see how staggeringly ignorant they are. You, alas, are a significant part of the reason why Ryanair has led the industry into the mess it is in now. Your mentality of just keeping your head down and thinking about number one is the same mentality that allowed people to live near Dachau or Belsen and claim they never knew what was happening in the 'transit camps' up the road. It frankly repulses me - and I suspect also a load of your own colleagues at Ryanair. I have always been at a complete loss to know why Ryanair pilots have not been able to unionise in order to gain collective bargaining powers and accountability that is so necessary for long-term security. As long as there are young people like you who see no need to think of anyone else but themselves, it all makes perfect sense.
I can see the advert in Flight International now, 'Young pilot available now, full of enthusiasm, hard worker, loves flying and never asks difficult questions. Give me the job and as long as I am sorted, you will never hear a peep. Where do I sign?'
Part of being young is that you are always capable of the deepest emotions of love, compassion, kindness, consideration and thoughtfulness. The problem tends to be that those emotions only ever involve yourself! Let me leave you with the poetic words of Martin Neimoller, a former U-boat captain from the First World War and subsequent church minister who after initially welcoming the new Germany, saw it for what it was and was sent to jail for voicing dissent. At the end of WWII, reflecting on the rise of Hitler and his own place in not opposing him until it was too late, he is credited with these words:
First "....They came for the Communists,
But I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
They came for the Jews,
But I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
They came for the Trade Unionists,
But I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Trade Unionist.
They came for the Catholics,
But I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Catholic.
Then they came for me,
But by that time there wasn't anyone left to speak for me....."
You folks at Ryanair are only seeing the beginning and without a corporate voice that stands for every pilot's interests and not just your own are destined for disaster. Best of luck in the fight ahead - you are going to need it.