turbine 100 - your description of your mate who was laid off for the winter brought tears to my eyes. Yours is only one very limited perspective however. By going bankrupt when he clearly did not need to do so he has stuffed a whole generation of future pilots by the ultimate application of the, 'Its all about me' principle. Here is a young guy who knowingly takes on a loan for £100k with HSBC or someone, and goes into the airline game knowing all the risks. He then gets a type-rating on the Airbus plus a few hundred hours before being given a few months off. Every other guy in his position worked in the Co-Op, bars, fast food restaurants, Tescos etc and just hung in there. Not your boy. He played the system and got before some numpties at a bankruptcy hearing to convince them he had no money or any likelihood of getting any. Surprise, surprise and a few months later he has his rating renewed, a new job and flying Airbuses again. Great news though - no debt! By doing what he has done he has stuffed countless people from less well off backgrounds who had no rich parents but were desperate to get into aviation. HSBC understandably pulled the plug when they saw what could happen and now only rich kids get into flying. That is truly the ultimate, 'I'm all right Jack' story.