If you are concerned about flying unsafe aircraft, then quit. Your life is too valuable to risk - money can be replaced, your life cannot.

If you have an aircraft with an open write-up, then refuse to fly it. Call the FSDO.

BTW, personally I do not think it is too big a deal to print out your own FOM revisions and post them. Deduct the expense on your taxes. Or you can use the computer at work. Not a reason to quit a job, though, IMO.

Did you bother to do ANY research about this company BEFORE you went to work for them??? If pilots would quit accepting jobs at POS companies, they would either have to clean up their act or go out of business. Instead, pilots keep going to work for them because golly gee they're getting paid to fly airplanes. Flying airplanes with MX items deffered per the FAA approved MEL -- welcome to the world of professional aviation! Despite how much you want to complain about it, the bottom line is that no one made you sign the training contract, no one made you go to work for this company. YOU made the decision to go to work for what sounds like a bottom feeder POS company and now you're expecting sympathy from everyone else. If you're that concerned about your safety then contact the local FSDO to report the company and consult with an aviation attorney about getting out of your training contract (if you belong to the AOPA legal assistance program, you get a free consultation as part of that). If you're just p---ed off about making a bad decision to work for a POS company and flying beat up airplanes, then either stick it out for however long is left on your contract or quit and face the consequences. But whatever you do, take responsibility for your own actions -- don't try to use BS excuses like "no one from management was in the room when I signed."

My thoughts exactly....put up, shut up, or pay up.

After I enlisted, the last thing my recruiter said to me was, "If you decide you hate the Navy, do your four years and get out. Suck it up, be a man then move on."


bgmann you listed four main reasons for wanting to break your contract:

1. Poor training - most likely it is the same now as when you signed the contract

2. Poor pay policy on upgrade - same as when you signed

3. Having to print out your own updates - I admit this is pretty cheesy, but probably the same as when you signed

4. Poor MX - this is the only reason you listed which I (if I were interviewing you) would see as a valid reason to break the contract.

And as for being pressured to take a bad aircraft, a good pilot must never succumb to pressure. Whether called "get-there-itis" or being threatened with termination, as a pilot it is my job to make a safe, legal, and prudent decision. If someone else "forces" me to take a bad flight, I cease to be the Pilot in COMMAND.

If you feel undue pressure is being put on you then leave. But be willing to accept the repercussions of having made a poor choice.

Without going and reading all of the pages of responses, I will say what most on the 1st page said.....stick it out. There is only one thing worse than a training contract and that is somebody who signs one and then doesn't honor their commitment or at least pay it off. Now I don't know how old you are or how long you have been flying for a living, but the flying industry is a very small world. You might think by leaving now that you are going to get yourself ahead faster. In the end this might backfire on you and you might find yourself stuck somewhere from being labeled a "Job Hopper", a "Type and Runner", or just someone one who's word means nothing. Now if your working conditions have changed and you find that you are being pressured to fly unairworthy aircraft or to break other regulations, well that is a completely different story. From the tone of your question, I don't get the feeling that is the case.

Here is how these things work:

2 year contract=Operator you probably don't want to work at for 2 years. Also, more than likely equals below industry standard pay.

1 year contract=Operator you might want to work for, but they are on a tight budget and the pay is probably slightly below standard.

If either of these contracts are non-prorated, then it is about a 1/2 step further down the pole.

No contract=Operator who treats their pilots well and an operation you want to stay with for many years. Pay is usually above industry standard.

legally, you just lost your legs to stand on when you posted this. with everything being posted on the internet these days, this is the first place individuals will run when trying to gather info for a case/prosecution/info