Well put Flying Bear
Aviation Enthus, I admire your enthusiasm and support for this operator but if I can give a little advice and it comes from experience accumulated in nearly 40 years in and around the aviation industry, not from the number of posts, it is the following:
Nearly all of us get into the industry because we love flying and the thought that somebody might pay us to do it is truly living the dream. But, as we gain experience and we are exposed to the less scrupulous operators who see our skills and love of flying as a resource to be mined and therefore depleted in order to boost their personal coffers, our view becomes less clear and that dream fades into the distance only to be replaced by the black and white reality that you are being used and, once spent will be cast aside to make room for the next dreamer, qualified with the minimums and relishing the opportunity to take their seat on the Ferris wheel.
Some will say that the dream was foolish and naive, and they may be right. But there will be operators that treat their pilots just as a resource with little regard for the human part of the brand. This is one of those operators. The worrying part of this behavior is that some take the same attitude to all the other necessary parts of the equation to keep the customer and the regulator satisfied.
Take the minimums and give the minimum and if possible to get away with it, fudge the latter. If you still want to buy your seat on this particular Ferris wheel, Caveat emptor.
Last edited by flying-spike; 4th Aug 2012 at 23:53.
Reason: Underlining for the benefit of the moderators