But where can an applicant run nowadays without at least 500 hours on type?
Almost nowhere. So the problem is that the management is just interested in another 15-25K EUR of profit and why not make it on junior employees?
Self-sponsored Type Rating & P2F shall be forbidden by law.
Yes, but 500 hours on type is generally less than 1 years experience. An airline making this level of investment would generally be looking at a commitment level well beyond this timescale. For a commercial company providing type ratings and employment conditional on those ratings it wouldn't be looking for a "churn" rate of 9-12 months. If it were to run a significant risk of that happening it certainly makes sense to make the supply of that training profitable.
Bear in mind that without the type rating you are not an employee, since the employment contract is likely to be conditional on the aquisition of that type rating and passing induction line training. It is fairly unusual for airlines to bond long standing employees for additional training. That is because they are already on a contract of employment and because they are already likely to have demonstrated a commitment.
The reason for the evolution is as I have already described, and that is down to many companies having had their fingers burnt in the past.
P2F is one of the factors leading to the degradation of flight safety. This is called Commercial Pressure on the pilot. Companies are looking primarily for pilots who are able to pay (some of you support these schemes). Other pilots who are "cornered", but also want to fly - they borrow money, take loans from banks. Yes, they start to fly, but they constantly think how to get this money back. But the main thing they should think about is compliance with the SOP and be responsible for safety. People supporting P2F involved in this degradation.
Sometimes a pilot should say NO. But the psychology is that - you are pressured by what you really want. These airlines want from you only money. Stop P2F. Refuse all offers where you asked to pay for TR and LT and after some time you will see changes.
"Pay to Fly" is something that you do from the moment you start your PPL training. It is going to burn great big holes in your pocket until the day you become qualified and obtain a job that enables you to start amortising those training costs. The distinction here is that of "
qualification." Airlines have grown to take the view that you are not "qualified" unless you already have the qualification necessary for employment. Unfortunately, that has evolved to include the "type qualification" criteria, unless you are already in possession of it, and with substantive experience to back it up. Whereas once they would have assumed that risk, no longer are many prepared to do so.
I am afraid that evidentially it doesn't lead to the degradation of flight safety. What individuals borrow from banks for flight training or car loans or mortgages or anything else, is a matter for the individual whether they are a cadet pilot or a 40 year veteran.