Two years flying in Indonesia

[Braviator]

I'm reading a lot of comparing between training bonds and P2F. Please make no mistake, there is a huge difference between a training bond a P2F or even investing in a type rating. A training bond is a cost recovery technique used by airlines after they've recruited you, based on your previous experience and ability, i.e., you've earned that position and are not necessarily directly out of pocket.

Investing in a type rating could be considered as a personal technical upgrade, with the view to increasing your chances of securing employment through legitimate means, complementing your previous experience.

Pay to fly is not merely about JUST paying to fly, you are buying a job, in some cases buying a job so you can work for free Airlines who recruit this way do this for one reason and one reason only... $$$. Do you honestly think they care about the aptitude of their pilots? They have planes (in some cases orders for hundreds) that need to be crewed. They don't care who you are, what your experience is. Oh, you have a pilot licence? You're desperate for a job? Fantastic! Let's exploit your desperation and financial resources. Come here, we'll give you a job, you can fly our shiny new jets, just pay us 50k and let us not pay you anything for a year.

Airline wins. Pilot wins. Right? Wrong. Airline's must be laughing their heads off. Pilot's win for a year or two. But the industry? Well... These P2F (or more specifically P4J - Pay for job), are setting a new standard for the terms and conditions of pilots worldwide. Airlines will start to (and have started to) think "hmm... our competitors are making their pilots PAY for training, and some aren't even paying them a salary! This is fantastic!" Next thing that said airline's contract negotiations come along, bargaining power has been diminished, airline starts crying foul about their financial condition and cost cutting measures. Airline wins. Pilot loses.

And these P2F genius' who are thinking they've jipped the system and leap frogged most of the hard working pilots in the industry, end up getting burned by the system they've helped to create. I hear a lot of whinging and justification for P2F due to "financial crisis", "times are tough". Suck it up princess!! What? Now the new airline you've applied for in the First World has dropped their salaries, working longer and harder for less money? Well, congratulations. This is your doing. A big thank you from the rest of us. Stop your complaining. This is a discussion you cannot, nor ever will, win.