touch & Go
I apologise for my tardy reply - unfortunately I've recently had to spend a distressingly large amount of my precious time slipping the surly bonds en-route to some of the world's more (or less) salubrious entertainment centres, and Pprune has had to move correspondingly down the priority list. Even when home, I'm spending a disproportionate amount of my 'rest' committing sport in the name of the British Heart Foundation's London to Brighton bike ride (to be held on 15th June - all donations gratefully accepted!). Then, I suppose, I also have to attend to the maintenance of the extensive grounds at Scroggs Towers (the gardeners being on strike - they're French, I think), check on the educational, social and emotional progress of the hoardes of mini-Scroggs, and somehow keep up the exhausting and demanding social responsibilities of a man of my position. Which is, of course, permanently recorded at the bar of my local hostelry with the everlasting thanks of mine host. Now, what were we on about?
Oh yes... type ratings. I am a strong believer that it should be up to the industry to pick up the bills for procuring the trained pilots it requires, not up to the individual. However, unlike King Canute, I recognise that the current tide is against me and I, and you, have to work with the situation we find ourselves in. There seems to be little doubt that it can, currently, sometimes be an advantage having a type rating - and that just doing the course with certain operators can present you with opportunities you might not otherwise have had. In this light, it would be crazy of me to stand on principle and ignore the reality. In any case, all I have said is that Astraeus is a commercial operator who makes you no employment promises if you should take their course.
When the debate becomes about who you should do a type-rating with, rather than whether you should do a type-rating at all, I don't believe I am compromising my principles by suggesting who might, or might not, be reputable training providers. In this case, I think Astraeus are among the good guys and, if you've decided to go the type-rating route, you could do a lot worse than try them out - I am willing and interested to hear others' opinions.
Scroggs