waco,
I agree that people have joined TCX as pilots who've had experience with the company beforehand, a family link to an acting employee, etc. As ace of spades suggests, this isn't unusual.
But...
You suggest that a "large percentage" of previous cadets have had these links - this is simply not the case.
By way of concrete example (which you don't provide) - the biggest fleet in the company is the Boeing 757 fleet. TCX ran a cadet scheme in collaboration with OAA, with cadets joining the B757 fleet in 2007 and 2008 (and 2009 but I don't know much about this intake). A total of around 12 cadet pilots. None had any of the above links you suggest.
I personally am only aware of 3 pilots on the payroll (out of a total of between 600 and 700) who joined the company as low-hours cadets, either with a relative in the company or previous experience in another area of the business.
The nepotism you suggest isn't really the reality - don't be disheartened if you're thinking of applying for this scheme without knowing the secret handshake everyone!
B&S
