Pinnacle wants a bridge program. Candidates lined up to the door to complete a 35,000$ bridge program and start flying the right seat of an RJ making 20,000$ a year. Applicants come in already knowing lots of RJ material, do a little better in training and sim, and wash-out rate decreases because of this and the company saves money. (all while continuing to pay with peanuts)
Express Jet notices the savings Pinnacle is making using this strategy, and also notice the line of applicants who are ready, and willing to spend 35,000$ on a bridge program to sit right seat, and they consider the idea, then go through with it. Express Jet now has a bridge program requirement in order to get hired as an F/O, or otherwise you need 50,000 PIC in the space shuttle.
Republic notices the trend, and notices that both companies have enough applicants that are willing to do this to suit their needs, and also make a bridge-program a requirement. Since everyone wants to go to Republic, and they know this, they change their policy, and now want a Type Rating before they hire you.
etc. etc. etc.
Joe-Smoe who is an ambitious student and asipiring airline pilot is finishing his commercial and initially didnt want to go to Pinnacle because of the bridge program. He loved ExpressJet and their bases and wants to get on with them, but now they also require a bridge program. So he turns it down, while half of his friends suck it up and go through with it, because after all EJ is a good company to work for, so its worth it. Joe Smoe has nowhere to go, but he always loved and his favorite airline was Republic, but now they want a TR, if he doesnt get this, all is lost. He sucks it up and buys a TR, gets hired, gets paid peanuts.
Same scenario repeats 1000's of times, with different people. Airlines change their requirements and minimums to Comm. Multi. with bridge program, or 50,000 PIC in the space shuttle.
It is now the standard industry wide to pay for a bridge program, whether your a high time CFI or a inexperienced Comm. pilot. Cost of getting to the airlines just went up 35,000$ across the board.
It has happened elsewhere and can potentially happen here if this continues.
The cause of it is pilots accepting it. Not giving a care in the world about the rest of the industry. They just wanna fly a shiny jet. If this was to become an industry standard, I don't hold it against the people as much. But at a time like this, it is just ruining the industry and dragging down the profession even farther... at least on the regional level for now.:banghead::banghead:
Look through the airlines that are hiring, and see how many are taking guys on with Comm. Multi. ..... but I forget.. they don't operate a big shiny jet, that makes lots of whistling noises.