Das I'm not sure that we're disagreeing with another in any major way. You earlier posted some generalisations, and my post to you was to point out that generalisations aren't always true (as we all know
).
Besides, as I said earlier, I don't think we're going to get any new development on the "GA vs. Cadet" debate.
What my problem is with the J* cadet scheme!
My understanding is that you pay OAA around 170k (plus up to 19.5k for accomm. and meals for 18 months). Then you pay 84k for the advanced bit in HKG (less the 21k that J* put up). You can sacrifice the remaining 63k over 6 years (10.5kpa).
Total outlay is 233k or 254k over a 7 1/2 year period.
Meanwhile your earnings are (roughly):
While you're a Junior FO (58kpa) base pay
Once you're a lvl 2 FO (89kpa) base pay
Let's assume that after 4 years you'll get the quals for the ATPL and become a lvl 2 FO. (This is a
big assumption, and you might be a Junior FO for the entire six years of your bond).
So 4x 58 + 2x 89 = 410,000.00 over 7 1/2 years.
Earnings less Outlay = 156,000.00 = just under 23,000.00 pa gross salary.
Sure, there are penalties and allowances on top of your base pay, but you've also got to look where are J* going to base you. Darwin? (Highest rents in Australia), Singapore? (makes Darwin look cheap).
What a great lifestyle! Grossing just over 1/3 of the Australian average full-time wage for 7 1/2 years flying an A320!
You'll finish your bond with zero dollars in the bank (assuming you're not still in debt), and hoping that J* renew your contract (Look at some of the european threads in case you think it can't happen here). If J* don't renew your contract, you'll have very limited options in Oz.
But hey, to all the prospective applicants... Don't say you weren't warned.
DIVOSH!
P.S. I'm more than happy to be proved wrong on the amounts above.