Here's something for you Bulldogs to chew on, and I'd be very interested to hear what you all think.
I'm in my mid forties, I fly left seat on two crew ops in a small twin turboprop. I have about 2300hrs and I'm just about to loose my job. At this point I should tell you that I'm not being sacked, made redundant or leaving through choice. I'm in a unique situation, with a certain set of circumstances that require me to leave my current position. Obviously, in this current economic climate and with so many unemployed pilots around, I know that at my age and with my experience, this could spell the end of any real advancement in my short career. A career I started late in life through a passion to fly. Now, I'm not wealthy in today's terms, but I could afford to finance one of these type rating with line experience. Will I be chastised on this forum for doing this, probably! Would I care what everybody thinks about me, no! No because the reason I will do this is for me. I want to experience what it's like to fly a big jet (of my choice) on the line before I'm too old, or worse still loose my medical. I also need to do something to make up for my age, so if needs be I'll pay to improve my chances of employment in the future!
My views on younger pilots paying for a type rating are a little different. I think if you're still in your 20's but struggling to get an interview, sit tight. Personally I've always been a strong subscriber of getting an FI rating. It's a great way to meet people, network, and gain valuable flight time and experience. It also demonstrates to any future employer that you are worth looking at; after all, instructing is two crew ops! So my advice to the younger viewers is to go and pay for an FI rating rather than a type rating - you'll always be able to fly with an FI rating!
As for those of you who say that pilots who self fund a type rating are bad pilots, I'm going to take you up on this issue. In my current position I've flown in some of the harshest weather Mother Nature could think up. I'm not saying I'm some sort of sky god or anything, but I'm safe and I'm capable of making a sensible decision in the air and on the ground - fact! So why do you think I'm going to loose all this experience, just because I'm going to self fund a type rating?
In summary, anybody should be free to do what ever they feel is right (within the law of course!) to get where they want to be in life, and whichever avenue you guys choose to go down, just fly safe eh!
Good luck, I know I'll need it!
