I have met more pilots with less jet handling ability who have come through the air taxi, regional airline route than those who went straight on to jets. (obviously)
During Sim assessments many have failed from both sides, but there were significantly more who had developed bad habits early in their careers who would have had difficulty converting to a large jet type, their backgrounds were from the air taxi and turboprop routes.
As to your employer with whom I have had a working relationship, until recently they did not take on pilots of low experience, and I would not expect employees with those hours to pay for their rating, and certainly not pay for subsequent aircraft changes, bonding yes.
Flintstone, it appears to me that you consider LEP's as excess baggage, so how do you rate your own cadets from OAA ?
Also from the bitter tone in your post I might assume that you have faced rejection somewhere in your career which you considered unjustified.
Serving time before the mast is an interesting statement as it was certainly what most of us did in the past, but times have changed and so must our attitudes.
From my industry connections the standards of direct jet F/O's are generally high, and the SSTR route should not be maligned, especially by those with a chip on their shoulder.
Its the current norm, and people will pay in one form or another for the forseeable future.
There are less daddies with big pockets these days, its called credit crunch but the majority of SSTR's are helped in some ways by their families or have taken on loans to reach their goal.
They are jumping over other fATPL pilots who do not have the monies, this is true, but there is no reason to decry those who have gone down this route just because you can't afford to pay out the monies for the extra rating.
Would I pay for a child of mine to go Integrated then a type rating, providing I had the ability to make the loan and repayments your damn right I would.
Would I help a person who wanted to advance his job prospects in any way the answer is again YES.
This is natural selection, and I am sorry to say today if you cant pay to get on that first rung then its join the 1000's of CV's on the HR desk.
You need an edge to get that first job so dont malign those who take the SSTR route.
They take the risk not the employer, and those I have had dealings with are very highly motivated and skilled.
Last edited by Day_Dreamer; 22nd February 2009 at 18:31.