Originally Posted by JohnBurke

No, the idea is that the pilot shows some backbone and has some semblance of honor, instead of taking the training, railing to live up to the obligation, and running away.

The applicant knew the deal when they signed on. Get training, and agree to work for a period of time. If the applicant leaves before fulfilling that obligation, then the student has debt. The students took discounts and tuition assistance to go from zero to hero, and then having let the airline pay for them to become pilots, they returned nothing and went to other airlines. Quite dishonorable.

Waiting to go to work in aviation is nothing new. I've interviewed, been in the "pool," and called back to go to work months or even years later. Not uncommon at all. In this case, the individuals came to the table ab initio with no qualification, and were shaped into pilots, in exchange for granting service; they were willing to sign the papers to get what they wanted, but then they failed to fulfill their end. Did Republic, et al, agree to employee the pilots immediately, or at all? What if the pilot turned out to be unemployable, a poor risk in the cockpit, and the airline elected not to employ them? Other countries do this, for much longer periods of time, and if the pilot doesn't pan out, he or she may end up tossing bags, sweeping hangars, or working the ticket counter...for 99 years, in the case of some Chinese operators. Whatever the term required, it was one that these students gladly signed up for when they wanted the money and the training. Now, qualified with skills and certification, the gimme-gimme-gimme generation isn't willing to fulfill the contract. They should get sued. And they should lose. And they should be an example for others.

The ungrateful little sots have no clue what it means to earn one's place in this industry. Give it to me now, and if not I'll take it and run. Entitlement. Disgusting. Pathetic. Dishonorable. If one doesn't wish to be held to an obligation, don't sign the paper and don't take the money. No one put a gun to their heads. No one forced them....but they're going to force republic to get something back. It's costing Republic time and money, and Republic is having to train someone else. These nimrods should lose their case to Republic and they should be forced to pay not only the loans and discounts, but legal fees, too.