Ha ha ha guys. The rules of the game "down under" are about to change massively. Jetstar have announced a cadet scheme that has all the makings of been lifted directly from Ryanair or easyjet in Europe.

It is either an ab-initio or advanced cadet scheme whereby the victim, I mean the cadet, is required to in-debt themselves to the company for large sums of money to finish up (possibly) occupying the right hand seat of an A320 for 6 years on considerably less remuneration than is currently being paid to the FOs' and with no guarantee of continued employment at the end of the indentured period.

As one can imagine there is considerable angst among many GA drivers who are knocking on the door of the airlines as they feel cheated by some young moneyed kid short-cutting into an airline, while they, having done the "hard yards" in GA, look like being excluded.

I have thought for some time that airlines in Oz would go down the cadet route but not the way Jetstar seem to be going. There is also some suspicion that Virgin Blue may also go down this route but at this time it is only a suspicion.