I haven't posted on here for a fair old while. Mainly because of the absolute polar views. It seems increasingly obvious that many of the people inhabiting this forum are probably too stupid to breath without being reminded.
Let me try and lay this out clearly.
IF "cadets" did not pay to fly, obviously it wouldn't exist.
IF existing crews refused to fly with/train/accept PTF, it also wouldn't exist.
You cannot simply blame one or other party. Both are to blame in equal measure.
What's really interesting is the dilemma that almost everyone I've ever spoken to who has agreed to fund line training (a la Easyjet and OAA First officer plus, which, however hard you try to dress it up isn't REALLY "pay to fly") or truly PTF doesn't WANT to do it. Not one of them has woken up and thought "you know what? I fancy spunking ANOTHER £30k today". They feel it is the only option open to them. You want to stop them paying? Stand up for them - for christ sake, make your airline actually have some standards and recruit properly - if they feel there IS an alternative, you may be suprised. Currently there is NO minimum educational qualifications. Only the qualification that you can get through the required hoops for licence issue.
At the same time, all the experienced people feel that they are being undercut and their privileges stripped away. They feel that any advice they give falls on deaf (or desperate) ears and therefore there's no point in fighting for these jumped up little ****s who just want a jet job straight away. After all "why can't they just get an FI ticket and work their way up, like I had to". Which is totally valid. Why SHOULD someone with 200 hours total experience be able to get straight into the right hand seat of a jet?
Overall this problem doesn't get solved by the self important who claim one side or the other is idefatigably "right". It requires some significant "working together". But of course, that would require people in this industry to look beyond themselves....which sadly, it would appear to be a pre-requisite to NOT have.