Hi there everybody
2 points to make.
Firstly will you all stop having a go at guys who have paid for their type rating with FR. Yes I did it. There was no option! I have been flying professionally for years, I served my time etc and had a nice job lined up and bang the credit crunch, bye bye job. The only place hiring was FR. And after doing all sorts of work flying and non flying to scratch out a living for a year working for FR is a lot better than all of them despite the crap T's&C's. Flying schools and small local companies pay less than the minimum wage for god sake. What would you want me to have done, stay working on a building site because I wouldn't lower myself to work for FR!
Secondly and more to the point of the thread, I have heard lots of guys going to the sand box, lots of people disappearing for interviews and waiting to hear back. How much effect this will have on FR management is anybodies guess but I would not count on the steady stream of young guys fresh out of flying school to replace them. Yes there is a back log of guys at the moment but banks are not lending. Unless your folks are loaded then where do you get £60k ish for your licence and another £25k for a type rating. Not a bank that is for sure.