You decide to go along to an open day at one of the well-known flight training establishments and are subjected to a slick marketing operation, which makes timeshare sharks look like amateurs. In addition to a free lunch, and an inspiring presentation, you get fed some impressive employment statistics. And while they can’t actually promise you a job at the end of the day, they do provide a list of the placements they’ve made with different airlines - averaging 200 a year!
The cost of the course, including accommodation and living expenses, is in excess of £90,000, but that’s no problem. They can fix you up with a 10 year bank loan with reduced repayments for the first couple of years, in case you don’t find a job straight away. The only problem is, the loan has to be secured on someone’s house, and there’s an extra couple of grand in fees for setting up the loan. That’s where the ‘Olds’ come in. Well it’s a bit of a risk, but if you’ll be earning upwards of fifty grand a year, it must be worth the gamble? Anyway, that go in the simulator did the trick and you’re hooked.
You pass the Skills Assessment and medical, and pay your deposit. You work your
off for the next 9 months on ground training, and then get to fly aircraft in the States for another 9. If you are lucky, all will go to plan and you end up with an ATPL. Now all you need is a job.
Half of the 200 trainees from this particular establishment were taken on by easyJet or Ryanair. You go to interviews at both companies and decide that easyJet is the better option. You are offered a two year contract via Parc Aviation, with the possibility of full employment after a probationary period. There’s just one ‘fly in the ointment’. You have to pay another £35,000 up front for Airbus type rating, and Parc Aviation will take 3% of all your earnings in admin fees.
The contract doesn’t look too bad though, with a decent hourly rate and a minimum winter period guarantee. In any case it’s a job, and you need to start paying off your loan, which has now risen to over £125,000 and is increasing at £100 a week due to interest.
All goes well for a few months, although. Parc Aviation never answer any of your emails. But hey, you can’t have everything. The flight crew are all friendly, and your pay always appears in the bank on time.
Then ‘out of the blue’, you suddenly get an email from Parc – Your two year contract is terminated with a month’s notice, as per clause x of the contract. You are offered a new contract in Berlin on two thirds the hourly rate you were getting in the UK and no winter guarantee. You are also being paid in Euros, and will have to pay German rates of tax, pension and social security contributions which are much higher than in the UK. Well you’ve been well and truly suckered and screwed by all concerned, but what choice do you have now but to take it?
IF YOU READ THIS, AND STILL END UP GOING DOWN THE SAME ROUTE, YOU WILL ONLY HAVE YOURSELF TO BLAME WHEN IT ALL GOES PEAR-SHAPED.
