.... meanwhile the airlines and offshore operators continue to laugh.
There will always be a demand for pilots for off-shore companies until the oil runs out, if there aren't enough with self-funded IR's then they'll have to start bonding again. I fear though that there will always be enough willing to borrow the £45k, and sit complaining about how they're unemployed with an IR coming up for renewal. I don't want to offend anyone, but I have little sympathy as they're only making the situation worse for the rest. The old way certainly makes more sense - get them to pay for it when they need you to have it and do your time to pay it back with minimal risk. I know that this means there is no quick 'in' to the job unless your very well connected, as there will likely be more experienced pilots who would sooner be employed and bonded ahead of you, but you'd get there one day, and as this thread was about FI's I think it's a very valuable and worthy way of building the 1,000 hrs or so that one would need. I know I'm dreaming though really as people aren't prepared to 'do their time' if there's an quicker way of buying their way in.
