While I certainly agree with a lot of what you say regarding recruitment, learning curves and employers preferences when it comes to selecting candidates for the RHS, I don't however agree with some of the tosh that you (and you are not alone on this) say about FR. By no means do I maintain a 'We'll support you ever more' attitude to the company, however some things benig banded about at the minute holds little truth and has only really been constructed to suit the 'haters' out there.
35k for a RYR type rating
£35,000 for a 737 SSTR with FR. Really!
RYR have started kicking FO's out after 500 hours on line
Where on earth are people getting this codswallop from? Is it one of those, 'my mate, who's a pilot, knows another person who's a pilot, who konws someone else who knows someone else....and that person used to work for Ryanair' stories? I can tell you,
if this is true, no one in Ryanair is talking about it which is extremely unusual, completely out of character and by all accounts bizarre, especially considering the extremity of this statement! In my opinion this rumour has come straight from someone who has failed the FR assessment, failed the TR course or failed the base check (it happens unfortunately).
I say working but all it is really is a revenue stream for RYR and you don't actually work for them you prostitute yourself a contract agency with no employment rights.
That much is true - you don't work for Ryanair. Given half the chance, I and others would. If you aren't already aware, BALPA and it's members are devoting a lot of time into gaining recognition within the airline. Tihs is one of the issues which they are looking to address. So all in all, I am not saying that the agency scenario is right. But I and others don't 'prostitute' ourselves either. At the end of the day, you and you alone, make the choice. Agency or not, Ryanair is one of the more stable entities in today's turbulent environment. Sure we'd all love more rights and a choice of contract, and I don't ay that flipently, however at the moment I am glad to be flying and earning an income. (And I have over 500hrs on type as well!)
But sure, you have heard all this before? All the best.