'Back in the day' TP guys spent 3 or 4 years max on decent cash, more than 35k once in the LHs, having fun and learning how to fly. I love the way this is dismissed out of turn as an unnecessary inconvenience. they had a debt of 35k max. They never paid for a TR through their career and were paid full salary from day one at every company. This was only 6 or 7 years ago. What do you think your easyjet CTC job has cost then in real money. I dread to think. a very quick estimate is £150k more than the TP guy in the first 5 years. When he/she would then be joining ezy on full SFO salary.
It is still possible to do the above, but move on to someone other than EZY. I for one did that, 3 Type ratings, all paid for by the company, the max time i was bonded for? 4 years. Each bind cancelled the next out and the third was free! Now enjoying a tax free salary else where. Its funny, because so many wannabes ive spoken to dismissed my route saying they could not possibly survive on the wages a TP operator paid. Well all my collegues are still alive and didnt resort to selling organs to pay off debts. I was sat on the X carpark bus a LGW (coz i love it sooo much) and happened to get chatting to one of ( as it turned out to my amazement the few) flexiscrews that could afford a car. Having compared route with route to the green atpl issue, wages, costs and all, he sat there gobsmacked. It was sooooo hard not to laugh in his face. He had a look of one of those candid camera shows where some unsuspecting mug got taken to the cleaners. All because they believed they had done their homework, knew the warts n all, and could look forward to the dream salary after doing their time, shaging their way through the base whilst working on it.
Oh what poor judgement some folk show.
I used to go to that professional pilot training show back in 2003/4 just before i started training. Flexiscrew didnt exist then, the sponsorship style ctc entry with ezy and tcx did. They had a fair bit of interest i seem to remember. I would love to see what the ctc stand looks like today. Im sure its full of salivating 18 year olds, drooling at the sight of an A320. Not even realising the potential learning and development that is found on TP operators post mpl/cpl ir courses. And to top it off you leave ATHR and AP in the whole frikin time! For fear the QAR and FDM police might go tut tut. Talk about skill errosion......."oh its ok we do 'back to basics trg' every time in the sim and it is part of the ATQP". Spare me please.
Out of interest a new ba FPP got in contact who had previosly applied for my old operator, but failed, now successful on CTC course. Having number crunched they worked out they would be on slightly less than i was when i started on a TP, let alone todays starting salary(which is higher) Post deductions etc. And they are paying a proprtion of the TR, and only get BnB rather than allowances. Blimey, the things people will do just to fly jets straight away(ok they are better off in the long run agreed). Funny thing is......it doesnt get u laid. Unless they are dumb, girls in bars dont believe you until the grey in your hair starts coming through.