Ryanair's £50 has been just the start, now it looks almost reasonable compared to how much you have to pay for sponsorship selection and other things (sim assessments?), and of course they don't reimburse travel expenses. This is a most bizarre industry. I can only think of modelling, singing, and the criminal underworld where you have to similarily jump through so many hoops just to get a look in.
If they want to stop hopeless applications, £5 would be enough to stop most people!