Fair Plane - (rant)
 

Dear PPRuNers,

I'm quite surprised that this hasn't been discussed to date. I came across a group on facebook titled "Fair Plane" - (search it on facebook, you'll find it). For those who are lucky enough not to have facebook you can find them here .

They seem to have a great outfit, with various endorsements from 'partners' like OAA and FTE (surprise surprise).

They even have support from the very cheeky Lembit Opik MP (click here)

With respect to the guys who created that site - am I the only person who's a little embarrassed by what they've written?

Example of what's been written on their facebook page:

Campaigning for Flight Training Fairness

Spot the difference between Tom and Oliver

Pilots and surgeons are both responsible for peoples lives
A pilot and a surgeon can earn similar money
Both of them needed extensive training to become qualified
Each will have to prove continuing professional competence over the whole of their working lives
The difference?

A surgeon could come from any background and the education system will train them. That means that Tom trained as any other student would – with the benefit of paid tuition fees and a student loan at preferential rates with deferred payment until he starts work.

There is no educational funding for pilots so Oliver’s parents had to pay for his training themselves. They had to borrow the money on a second mortgage at an astronomical rate. They had to pay this crippling interest whist Oliver was still training and unable to earn any money at all to help finance the debt.

If it were your son or daughter wanting to become a pilot would you think this was fair?

More importantly could you afford to pay for it yourself?

If you think that is fair and right then click away from this page. If you agree that it is only right that in this day and age an airline pilot should be allowed to come from any background regardless of how much money their parents earn then simply click here to register your agreement.

Fairplane – help us to make student pilots students before they become pilots.

IMO this is the most tenuous link ever, just like bus drivers are responsible for the lives of innocent pensioners and students.

- are they trying to say that only certain people from certain backgrounds have the opportunity to train as a pilot? I disagree.

- I don't know where to start with the paragraph of factually incorrect tripe. Oliver's parents, if you're reading, you may like to know that you didn't have to take out that second mortgage. If the interest was that crippling why did you take it out in the first place? Couldn't Oliver had carried on working after school and paid for his licence following a modular route?

- yes, get a job like the hundreds of self-improver's/modular guys before you did.

- you want to take off those OAA/FTE/CTC issue rose tinted glasses and get yourselves down to Stapleford and check out some of the guys and girls there. You might be very surprised.

- probably the worst tag-line ever.

Then I went to the Blog and met Tim (click the link)

- this is the problem, right there. A 15 year old wannabe thinks that the only way he's going to get to the flight deck is via £80K and a stiff rogering from OAA, FTE or CTC. What hope do wannabe pilots have of ever getting a permanent contract or a type rating paid for them if this is what the next generation of pilots are thinking?

It's heartbreaking.

Guys, in my mind you're hypocrites. You're going off to these overpriced flight schools, paying £80K and coming home crying, making a website saying you want to the government to help you. No offence, but you're also contributing to the reduction in quality of T&C's.

You're your own worst enemy.

Very well said student88 :ok:

Some poor analogies there; a CPL can easily be obtained in less than two years whereas a surgeon requires years of training after the five year medical degree.

Supply and demand - do we need pilots like we need surgeons? Probably not, and those we do need, we have on the military.

I've said it before; life's not fair.

Cheers

Whirls