The ones who came to us post 2008 have done very well. No type rating costs (to them). Full time employment contracts. Good salaries. Good benefits (company pension contribution/ private health / Permanent health insurance / loss of licence / etc.) Good early command prospects at around 5 years post joining. Most driving new cars, many buying houses for the first time. Debt repayments structured into an affordable income/expenditure package (of those I have been shown.) Jet hours rising at 750-800 hours per annum. Licence/ medical renewals all paid by company. Career in a good company moving positively onwards and upwards.
As you rightly say, they deserve none of your sympathy, they knew what they were getting into.
Bealzebub
What an astonishing post.
Are you honestly suggesting that the majority of newly graduated cadets get permanent contracts immediately with no TR to pay for, health insurance for free, duty pay, flight pay, pension contributions? What is this mythical company of which you speak?
The ones I have spoken to get none of the above. And they pay for their uniform and their medical renewal too by the way. And if they are lucky they will get a permanent contract after a year, which still doesn't include flight pay/duty pay.
You must tell me where I have gone wrong. I graduated in 2007 and started working in the right hand seat of an airbus in Jan 2008. I still have £20,000 worth of debt which I repay at £1000 / month, as I have for the past 7 years, and I am no where CLOSE to buying my own house or a new flashy car. And those coming through now will get nothing resembling the deal I got.
The only way a newly graduated cadet is gonna be buying their own place in the first 5 years is if a) they win the lottery or b) mum and dad give them their inheritance early. To suggest they will do so off the back of their new job in aviation is disingenuous.