Hmm, Jellyman, don't really follow your logic! At any one time, the airlines collectively have a fairly fixed number of positions available, whether for DE type-qualified pilots or ab-initio cadets. The method of recruiting and training won't really alter that number. However, if airlines see a way of improving the quality of their intake, particularly for pilots with little or no experience, they are very likely to use it. All that changes is (or should be) the failure rate. In other words, there will be fewer expensive drop-outs later. Those who have the ability have nothing to worry about!
In fact, the only impact I see schemes like the EZ one having is to increase the opportunities for Wannabes at a time when airlines are very reluctant to invest in new people. This gives the airlines a lower-risk and relatively low cost way of getting new blood at a time when the option could be less recruiting overall - at least for the time being.
Believe me, if and when the pilot market regains its competitiveness of the late '90s, airlines will be tripping over each other to offer you jobs at less and less cost to those lucky enough to be targetted. But they will always be interested in minimising their financial risk, and so the recruiting of new pilots via professional training providers is likely to be an increasing feature of wannabes' lives.
edited to aim at the right person - sorry Foggy!
Last edited by scroggs; 22nd Dec 2002 at 18:32.