Very interesting stuff. I am an easyJet pilot, but follow Ryanair closely. I think there are some very honest posts here. Reluctant737 is probably who Ryanair was built for - young, keen, capable, hard-working and never worked for another airline. TheGlide reminds me so much of my own view at his stage of my flying career - incredulous someone was about to pay me anything at all for flying a fancy new jet and just desperate to do the job. I too would gladly have told all whiners to shove off - it is only as the years progressed that I became more discerning. Sadly, my lack of airline experience tainted my views, and in retrospect I was completely wrong. I spent many years in the RAF and easyJet is now the 5th airline I have worked for - my perspective is now very different. I probably most identify with eagerbeaver1 - I wistfully reflect on my own naivety when I started out.
My genuine hope for Ryanair is that enough people wake up to the harsh reality of what they are dealing with and seek union representation to change the face of their potentially excellent company. Best of luck.