Well... it would appear that with the massive expansion of SXD, many of the German based NTR guys were putting the money up front or getting a letter from the bank by way of Guarantee, which, lets face it, isn't easy today.. So I guess there is no definative answer,,, but many have paid up front and there is no shortage of applicants willing to do so. Quite how it works for guys moving from SXS to SXD that are still bonded under the " old system" I can't say. It would seem that most commercial low costs now require payment in advance, perhaps only the legacy carriers don't, having said that Korean ask for a SSTR as well to change fleets.. the fact is at the end of it at least there is a job guarantee... so it's not PTF or anything such like. Simply supply and demand. 10 more new FOs coming soon, mostly out of flight schools( or so we are told!) guess the Turkish Airforce is one damn fine flight school!