We constantly hear about a drastic pilot shortage, but in Balpa alone we have more than 500 qualified, trained and committed pilots in membership who are unemployed and filling in with other jobs to make ends meet in the hope that something will turn up.
Part of the problem is that unfortunately a large number of those who get through will not be successful as they simply aren't good enough.
Declining standards in training has let too many people through who shouldn't have made it in the first place - and then having unrealistic expectations set by their ATOs who managed to get them through training so they can make a quid or two.