Lets look at it from the other side!
Get to the office early - phone is ringing.
Quote on about 20 charters - will be lucky to get one.
An hour later - not even a nibble - quote again dropping profit margins to $200
Eventually we get one - call crew and dispatch the aircraft to Geneva empty to pick up pax.
Captain phones from Geneva - aircraft has a technical.
Call out standby crew - dispatch second aircraft to Geneva - this is costing me $2000
Another captain calls in sick for tomorrows flight - will have to call out expensive contract pilot.
Broken aircraft in Geneva will take 3 days to repair - crew hotac for three days!!
Interviews today to replace a captain that resigned - cant find type rated crew - a few good low hour pilots that don't want to pay for type rating.
Phone the owner and tell him I need 30K (10 to upgrade an F/O and 20K for new pilot TR)
Owner screams at me down the phone - the business already owes him close to a million - threatens to shut the business and slams the phone down in my ear.
The mail arrives - insurance is going up 10%
I look out the window - the sky is grey.
Suitcaseman, having been in the same situation I understand you perfectly well. And I know, that when it rains it pours...
OTOH, and I know its easy said..., if on can´t make money in a business or looses for quite a while, then its better to get out of business. What we have seen in the past good years, was that everyone that wasn´t up a tree after counting to three got a loan to buy an airplane. And dozens of operators that - apparently - talked people into airplanes that usually not would have bought one. All fine as long as you can keep the wave of costs - that will come one day or another e.g. HSI - IF it breaks right over your head, the company is done. Thats aviation business 1 x 1 so far.
Now, why exactly should I prolong such a shady thing by buing a TR, getting paid as much or rather little as anyone else with no protection from losing my investment. Why exactly should I pay for a rating that came with the airplane and now costs 20000? Why should I pay for my training, when the owner of the airplane would never think about asking his secretary to self fund training on a new software he wishes her to use?
The layout for the typerating should be on the employers side, and that has to become the law, otherwise nothing will change.
In the current situation I would say, okay, a years bond is acceptable. But anything more than that is just....
And as "suitcaseman" points out, nothing in this life comes for free: If the operator pays for your typerating, then you have to accept a lower initial salary or some other penalties. Everywhere. Even in your operation I assume. Every airline cadet scheme works that way: They pay for your training, you earn less money - you pay for your training, you earn more money. Rocket science for beginners, so to say.
Not wrong, but the essential difference to me is where the risk is. If a multimillion dollar aircraft owner has a risk of losing, say, 20k€ then that is FUNDAMENTALLY different to young dude already having 70k€ loans and then investing further. Currently it is way lower pay then it used to pay AND SSTR. if anyone finds this right, or how it should be, then...I´m not with em.
Max, just look to the other operator at your homebase. There you pay for your rating, preferably on their airplanes, checkrides, medicals, all courses such as CRM, FA, FF etc. and on top you earn peanuts. And no guarantee that you fly a lot and therefore the investment at least gives you experience.