Contrary to my better judgement I feel I have to say something about the RYR FO bashing that has become a regular feature of this and other threads. I count myself extremely lucky to have a job in the current environment and I never set out to fly a jet as a low hours pilot - any aircraft would have been good enough. But RYR is the only organisation that has given me a chance to fly an aircraft of any type and I'm very grateful to them for that. Yes, its cost me money, but how many airlines in the last 3 years or so have offered jobs to low houred pilots without some kind of financial commitment? Even BA claws some of the costs back through reduced pay for 2 or 3 years. The costs are not as great as people make out - it cost me 18k or so for my type rating after the VAT was refunded. Yes, a lot of money but I made it back fairly quickly. I don't know anyone that has had to make a financial outlay who has found it cheaper - and I know plenty who have paid getting on for twice as much. I did not and do not "pay to fly". I have not set out to ruin everyone's T&Cs. I find the notion that I should NOT have taken a job with RYR to preserve everyone else's cosy little environment quite ludicrous. Do people really believe that this a sensible option for low hours pilots? I have never been of the "job at any price" view, but short of going on the dole, defaulting on my mortgage, becoming homeless and probably offing myself from Clifton Suspension Bridge, I didn't really see many other options at the time.
The people who bash people like me have a pretty curious outlook. I'm not sure if its based on jealousy, because they had to fly crappy little planes around for years, or ignorance. I make no apology for having what I consider to be a great job. I think I've earned it. Whilst I may not be a pilot god like so many of the contributors here, I learn something every day and my handling skills are clearly ok. I am not a "cheap asshole" - I've been well trained and have worked bloody hard to get here. Yes, there are one or two who seem to slip through the net. But does anyone really think this doesn't happen in EVERY airline? If you do, you're on a different planet to the one I'm on. At the end of the day - I don't really see what is different to what I've done, to what BA cadets have been doing for 30 or 40 years. I spoke to a guy the other day who was flying a 707 in his first job after finishing at Oxford. So please... give it a rest will you? The enemy is not the person sitting in the right hand seat...