Clunk I think we do get it. The youngsters and new entrants to the industry don't get it, and seem to think that is the only way to get ahead. And maybe for the moment it is. There isn't single party to blame here. One thinks that's what they need to do, and the other takes advantage of it, and so the cycle goes on. But do you think that it's good for the industry, and the profession in the long run? I don't, and I think that I need to do something to protect myself in this industry in the future or else I will find myself being passed over in favour of the new intake with a stupidly large overdraft, or a massive debt: why pay me a salary when they can get someone to pay them to do the work? This is exactly the sort of process that fuelled the recession of 3 years ago.
Whether you are a new and spiring pilot or and established old hand you owe it to yourself, your colleagues, and the future of our profession to do something about it.
Clunk and mikehotel are displaying exactly the sort of suppine attitude that allowed this practise to become quite so widespread.