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Hi.
I am speaking in general terms re: pay. I would expect that by the time these guys would start there would have been a pay review for the better. Of course, that is not certain as nothing in this industry but is what I would expect as someone within the company. This year we had a pay freeze and it is yet to be decided what the case is for 2010. We shall see in due course. Yes they have you bonded/signed up for 5 years however a cadet from this scheme would be on the same Ts and Cs as the rest of the pilot body. To suggest they have you signed up so don't have to improve anything ignores the other 800 or so pilots.
The caveats in the prospectus are understandable. If you leave within the stated period why shouldn't you have to pay a bond back? I'd choose a bonding over paying for a type rating any day, particularly the way things are at the moment.
There is always a risk in pilot training. All I am trying to say is that as far as the industry is at the moment, for a newbie considering training, this is the least risk scheme with by far the best chance of a job at the end of it. Let me make it clear that I am not promoting people running off and doing a training course at the moment as a general rule, however I feel this is as good an opportunity as there is around at this moment in time. As long as the cadet completes the course satisfactorily, they will in all likelihood end up working for a good, stable, respectable company and fly decent equipment with a UK base.
If anyone can suggest a better route into the RHS of an airliner at the moment I'll be pleased to hear it so I can tell my friends who have been pretty down about their prospects of ever getting there over the last year or so.