Spanner,
Thank you for caring about my personal motivations.
In case you live under a rock and you are unaware, the European market for airline pilots is
beyond dismal. All of the legacy airlines are broken and upgrade times for would-be newhires (if they are hiring) far exceeds personal expectations. Do you want to wait 20+ years for a Captain upgrade? Despite being able to sleep in your own bed every night, the thought of flying for a European LCC is not appealing for many people given the monotony of flying (like Groundhog Day) and the early/lates scheduling. Some people love the LCCs - I do not. All airlines in Europe will eventually degrade pilot wages and pilot lifestyles in the name of increasing LCC competition. No legacy will be spared. Prospects for the European airline profession over the next 10-20 years look very grim and more consolidation is likely - leading to fewer legacy jobs.
Additionally, if you lived where I currently live, you would probably dislike the cold, windy and dank weather experienced throughout the majority of the year.
So, the Gulf represents quite a contrast for my personal situation. It is all relative - my circumstances and aspirations may be different from others. The Goat Airline and the other 2 major airlines in the area are expanding fast, offer the best equipment possible, offer growing lists of worldwide destinations and they provide an interesting cultural experience if you can handle it (not to mention better weather for most of the year - excluding the summer heat). Upgrade times are far better - and on much nicer equipment. As a lifelong Boeing fan, I have always aspired to flying something like the 777 or 787 (career goal). All 3 Gulf airlines operate them. So, I have done my research, I have networked with a lot of people, and I frequent these boards (obviously far too much). I currently do not have the experience to be competitive (certainly not EK) but I am working on it.
The fact that Qatar has established these vague training contracts is disturbing and disappointing - I hope that this latest wrinkle described in this thread only applies to cadets at the lowest level of the chain. Some clarification and clear communication would be helpful. I understand the type-rating training bond, but paying for line training would be ridiculous for experienced pilots.
So, given my interest in the area and in the 3 big, fast-growing airlines in the Gulf, I will continue to ask questions and express my enthusiasm for my favourite aircraft types (including the 787). Unlike others who are already jaded and bitter, I still enjoy aviation and hope to salvage the rest of my career when possible. This is a very difficult and challenging industry, but I choose not to be so negative and I hold on to a small bit of optimism to keep myself going.
