Bouyer:
First, let me give you some internet advice. I don't want to put you down, or sound pedantic. Sentences start with capital letters, "I" gets capitalized, "u" is spelled y-o-u, and "discrase" is spelled "disgrace". Nothing personal, but I see a lot of younger people building some bad habits that can only hurt them later in life. I have two nieces and a nephew who do this on the net, and there is no good reason for it. You are very likely just as smart as they are, so don't sell yourself short. In fact, as a future aviator, you need to be in the habit of doing almost everything that you can correctly. Just some friendly advice.
Second, many posters here, my self included, have an outspoken and viseral reaction to the minority of pilots who attempt to move ahead very quickly by the act of spending a lot of money on "direct" programs. No doubt, many pilots work very hard in addition to spending money. Certainly some of the posters in this thread could be more tactful and gentle in their expression of their opposition to the big-money, guaranteed interview, PFT (some of them) programs. Does it make you a bad person because you went through an accellerated program? Certainly not. Do some people see this as a character flaw, the willingness to circumvent the traditional way of doing things? Many pilots feel that way. I, for instance, believe that instructing is the hands-down BEST way to learn aviation. To me, choosing the easy, faster, "direct" route over instructing is a symptom of our culture's appetite for instant gratification. Your results may vary, void where prohibited, yadda, yadda. But while some of the comments may be insentitive, there is a kernel of truth.
As a martial artist, I am the last person to land a blow when someone is on the mat and incapacitated. So it is with those who were recent students at ATA. Truly, you have my sympathy. Now, as the sting starts to subside, what have you learned? Not everyone in aviation has your best interest at heart. You have to really probe around to discover if a given school or air carrier is a place where to should place your money or your life. The observation that you have "gotten what you deserve" is certainly an expression of disdain, and is somewhat misplaced. Where is that kernel of truth? Here. We all make choices in life, some good, some not. It is up to each one of us, individually or acting together, to apply due diligence in our affairs. The Bible calls this being a "good steward" of your affairs. I don't agree that this is your just punishment for trying to get around instructing and move into a regional job ahead of others. You should have been treated fairly, and under the terms of your agreement. That's ethical treatment, and it may have been lacking here. Fraud and breach of contract are serious charges. A court will decide that, no doubt.
In the final analysis, we are ALL responsible for what we get. We lay those stepping stones every day as we choose our way along in life. Choosing to place your money with an outfit that has a poor reputation in the marketplace for a chance to bypass the traditional training regime is an example of that kind of choice, a choice that now you undoubtedly regret. I have had learning experiences like that myself, and those are some of the lessons I have learned best. This may be your own "best learned" lesson.
So while one man's comments may offend you, don't turn away from what you can gain out of this. In Judo, you don't really know the value of a throw until you are on the receiving end, and meet the floor with a "THUMP"!
Then, you get up, dust off your gi, and get ready for the next advance. Who will have the next point? Will it be you?
