Mister Geezer
Not quite sure if the 'person' we have based our points upon is real or ficticious! Is this happening to someone you know? My point is that us inexperienced guys have to be sluts to the sytem to get a look in because by rights we shouldnt be there. A young family and kids scenario, i agree is damn hard if you are told to move bases, but surely you would have half an idea that an LCC is going to mess you around.
moving on to Ryanair and in asnwer to your question why should we pay £20K... The type rating is YOURS, so why shouldnt you pay for it. You pay £20K now, in 3 years Ryanair will have given you 2,700 hours, almost ready for a command and be on £60K. Sounds a fair gig to me. However they will have a brisk turnover of pilots cos no one wants to work that hard forever! That is the price they pay for not investing in you from the word go.
You mention your mate "whose treatment from Ryanair was far from acceptable, while he was applying to them". He was only applying to them!!! They didnt owe him anything! The Ryanair thing is simple. YOU Pay £20K to relieve them of the Business risk of hiring a low houred guy. you buy your own Type Rating. They max your hours in return pay you damn well and you are free to go if you fancy a flying instructors job. If it isnt for you then dont take it, but, what the system is doing is giving people who want to work hard and not kick up a fuss a chance of employment and, AND is making the competition less for guys like you who wouldnt touch Ryanair with tow bar.
As I said before, I have spoken to several Ryanair pilots, all of whom are happy.
There is something about the British mentality that takes great pleasure in longing for something or someone that is successful to fall on it's arse.
I don't understand why.