Well you assume that some of the people in the pool wont pay for TR.
I really don't believe that. I think its inevitable that pilots in the future will pay for both TR and LT. Maybe not LT at the beginning but for certain TR. That's just the way the world works, its all about the money.
It will take many years to change that.
So the situation for many pilots is that they cant move on with their career without investing more money. Ofc there are a few places like Lufthansa and so on which will pay for your TR but first of all its hard to get in and second you need to be able to speak German.
So those pilots who take the AQC at CTC what are they supposed to do the next two years or more???
My friend has been in the pool now for 2 years. He couldn't get any kind of job within aviation. So what did he do - payed for TR and LT and is now happily flying. However now he is not the pool anymore.
But there are some that wont get a job after a TR, why should they get kicked out of the pool. I can tell you one thing, when you join the assessment they really try to avoid the question regarding whether you will get kicked from the pool if you take a TR. Most of the pilots taking the AQC are not even aware of this "policy". So they take the AQC and wait for a year. Nothing has happened and now they cant wait any longer so they decide to take TR and suddenly when they contact CTC after the TR maybe a few months later they say "ohh by the way you are not in pool anymore because you took a TR" too bad.!!!!
I cant see the point in taking the AQC most of the ATP will end up anyway paying for the TR directly or indirectly through a bonding scheme... That is the FUTURE unfortunately.