Shame on anyone that chooses a scheme like this.

Pilots should be employed by an airline based on their ability to do the job, not on their ability to come up with a shed load of money.

This doesnt happen in any other industry.

For those of you that were successful in this scheme; you got lucky.

For those of you that didnt and are now waiting in some daydream "holdpool", I have no sympathy for you whatsoever; in my eyes your just a contributor to the problem.

I'm still not sure that ATP isn't a viable way ahead folks.

ATP is offering 'Training' not employment. It would appear they have secured some high quality training partners to this end. IMhO both BMI and EZY will provide a wonderful basis of training for any FATPL. To this end, I feel their intregrity is as yet unblemished.

The shape of the industry has changed. Many airlines are looking for 'turn key' solutions to piloting, (not ultra capable long term employes to 'bring on' over 2 decades). I have no doubt how capable many of the wannabes are, but fear that most will never get a commercial job to exercise their talents and passion. Often airlines seem to have a short shelf life so expensive and lengthy training of new crews is probably unattractive.

If agency crewing ( flexicrew etc ) becomes the norm, it will become quite usual to require a minimum of 500hrs on type to be considered employable. These contract crews can offer competitive solutions in a harsh market.

I'm not sure that we will ever see a return to 'the good old days'.

Lets call a spade a spade Big Number. The hours on the line are revenue flights for the operators. Ergo the cadet is paying out of his or her own pocket to work for the operator. Madness.

Mixmaster
 

No One Gets the point do they....PAYING AIRLINES TO WORK GUYS.. Total madness and how do you expect anyone nd I mean any first officer to get a job if people are paying to fly..

Equally, how does anyone hope to find work with a MEP CPL/IR!!!?

When was the last time you spotted such an opening in any of the usual channels ( Flight, AviationJobSearch etc)?? Have you seen something everyone else missed?

I think that the market has changed. I believe it will not be changing back in the 'shelf life' of this generation of wannabe's frozen ATPL's.

Hence I reckon you either 'write off' your losses or invest further to get ahead.

I have not seen anyone 'posting' on here that has completed 500hrs of Line Training and hasn't been successful securing a job. By contrast, there would seem to be plenty of unrated CPL/IR's unable to find any openings.

It would appear to me that 500hrs on type is a must have to be employable in todays market. Therefore, in the absence of any other options, paying your 'dowry' seems the only option innit. A pilots skill set has a highly perishable shelf life.

Good luck to all.

BN

Wasn't aware that there were any, but I may be mistaken. One thing is sure though, the decision on who to keep on was made by the easyJet Head of Training Airbus. From what I have heard, this was based on training files.