When you post this fusible:
it is laughable to read you guys debating the economics of the type rating. Based on future earnings, £15000, with or without VAT is peanuts with respect to what you can earn at Ryanair.
I agree if you become straight away a direct entry captain with the golden handshake et al.. But you can not be serious when you start as a reduced pay first officer. If you are serious then please post your experience for all to consider. I can not believe that many people will be willing to give up work (any type) to go and do a type rating with NO guarantee of even an interview and spend fifteen grand on top of it all.
Even if you have no loans following an integrated course or other then it has got to be the rare person who can afford all of that in this climate. GECAT surely have to do some sort of selection before they let you lose on this. I am going to be writing to BALPA about this blatant misuse of the current financial climate to abuse wannabees. Scandalous is what this is.
And before anyone starts saying well they are a business and they have to get buy etc... What is going to happen to the pilots who currently are under enough stress paying back loans when they have to pay even more back and then start working long hours etc. If you think there is a current problem with pilots drinking then I am sure this is going to do some real good. NOT Stress levels are going to become intolerable and ryainair will make everyonw work to the Irish limits with regard to flight duty.
Can an airline become 'unable to attract quality recruits', they are certainly going the right way about it!!