"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:1adIf.766769$x96.21260@attbi_s72...
On top of this fuel is about $7.50 a gallon. all the tax raised on the
fuel goes into the general fund and pays for defense, welfare, roads,
education etc. None of it makes it way back to GA.

That's sad.

To what do you attribute this terrible situation? Do the politicians in
your country believe that airline pilots are hatched full-grown? Do they
really think it's safe to discourage using ATC? Where are future pilots
going to come from?

Why do I think you're going to answer "From America?"

Not America - anywhere where it can be done cheaper.
The airlines don't care as long as they keep their costs down.

To do an integrated frozen ATPL 0-250 hours with multicrew enough to get you
into the right hand seat of an Airbus costs about £70,000 ($ 123,000) ie on
a 15 month full time basis. Most of the flying up to the IR test is done in
the US to reduce the costs. After 1500 hours the ATPL is unfrozen and that
then allows commander status.

Doing it on a modular basis costs about £37,000 but the job chances are
vastly inferior as the airlines prefer the integrated route because of the
integrity of it being done at one provider.

Getting a fistful of FAA certificates does not help unless you get to work
for a US airline, because to convert to a JAR ATPL the ground school still
has to be done along with the 14 exams. Cost £1800 for the ground school and
£800 for the exams.
Surprisingly there are plenty of people prepared to cough up that sort of
money
The paradox seems to me that people so obsessed about flying should not be
doing it professionally.

Chris