What is it with all of this angst? How is P2F any different than abinitio training of Lufthansa, etc? The logic that one must pay his dues by slogging through the series of jobs, instructing, charter, cargo, piston, turboprop, etc, etc is clearly overstated. How is it that with only 200 hours of initial flight training that USAF fighter pilots are at the controls of the F-22 and A-10, or transport pilots flying the C-17, all flawlessly carrying out complex flight operations? Equally, you have these abinitio newbies that are jerking the gear on large jet transports and passing their check-rides and flying safely. Where is this wave of mishaps? Exactly, more rhetoric than reality. Truth be told, whether in military or civilian aviation low time pilots, are carrying out the most demanding flights safely.
Ultimately, there are a variety of ways to get into the big leagues and fly the big iron. Asian carriers do not have enough locals to feed their growth plans so they offer up these enticing opportunities. If Indonesia's 250 hr rule in type is now the norm, then that once good deal has evaporated. The Asian carriers rules reflect the dynamics of their growth. In order for non-Asians to move out there they offered zero hour opportunities. Of course the P2F scheme helped the middle men and it ensured their new hires stayed on long enough to pay off their training. As pilots we all have different needs and desires. Now with the revised rule, only a narrow pool of pilots are going to be able to get those jobs. I for one am out of that running.
Do I begrudge those who have done the P2F? No, why should I? They were in the right place at the right time and they had the funds, so what? Is it their fault they saved money or that Mummy paid for it? Get over it. There was no line to jump over, the airline made the offer and those who could accepted. Nevertheless, the pilots still had to qualify, so they got through training and are line qualified, good on them. Not every carrier offers P2F why is that? Because not many pilots have that kind of money to tap into and the big league carriers have enough competition to pick from.
The traditional model of gaining the right seat of a major carrier has always been challenged. Military pilots do not leave the service with a lot of flight time, yet they are valued candidates. Equally, P2F has been in some fashion around for awhile, so deal with it. Squawking about something you cannot change is a waste of both your emotional and mental energy.
Welcome to the vagaries of aviation: illogical actions, unfairness, furloughs, and crappy contracts. If you don't learn to deal with it now, you'll just become a bitter wannabe on PPRune. So suck it up, Buttercups and let's bring value added to the discussion, rather than some pathetic, "My porridge is too hot," or "Johnny' s Mummy has more money than my Daddy." Cheers.
