Just been reading through this thread as I'm a bit bored on a layover. I was at Ryanair for over 6 years after joining as a cadet and can say with complete honesty - if I was to start over again I wouldn't change a thing.
The only reason I left was because my original plan was 4 years then leave to try my hand at longhaul & widebody, the fact I chose to stay longer than 4 should speak volumes.
It really annoys me that no one ever defends the airline on here, but we all know pprune is only used to gather information and slag other people/airlines off.
I agree that the conditions need to be addressed and the contracts can be more transparent, especially with base change requests. However, what people fail to point out is how incredibly beneficial it is to get a job straight onto a jet. Ok, you have to pay for the type rating, but you're advancing your career by YEARS, avoiding years of flight instructing, turboprops etc etc
I never really liked decisions made by management, I'll keep my opinions of individuals I've met from that part of the airline to myself! However, the vast majority of the pilots and cabin crew you will work with on a daily basis are great, I miss the laughs we used to have on those working days. It's a laid back work environment that is very enjoyable.
If it drops to 600 hours a year, then so be it. You have to look at it from a financial viewpoint and decide whether you can take that pay.
Everyone I know who is at Ryanair now or who can thank the airline for their career development will agree with me I'm sure - you are making a good decision and you will not regret it in the long term. It's also worth adding that from a training point of view Ryanair has huge respect from other airlines around the world, the large companies in the middle east have great results when recruiting Ryanair pilots.
To those who have interviews or start dates, good luck and enjoy! The type rating is an incredibly stressful and demanding time, but also enjoyable.
And to the person who slated the sandwich machine at east midlands training centre, how dare you! Those egg sarnies are maximum 4 days out of date, it's good to keep your digestion on its toes.
If you're not sure you're making the right decision then feel free to PM me, I can't provide you with anything more than my own experiences so please don't expect any heads up on the application or interview process.
All the best and continue to ignore the idiots.
Last edited by BongleBear; 10th Sep 2012 at 07:58.