They salivate for quick upgrades and then after 5-10 years, as RJ captains, they complain they aren't making decent money compared to most of their college buddies that went into other fields and make a lot more then them. They complain there are no jobs at United or Delta, etc. and that they are "stuck" at the regionals.

All the while never realizing that the philosophy of "more RJ's and quick upgrades" just imprisons them in the jail they made for themselves. As long as there are hungry, debt-ridden, SJS-infected pilots out there, managements will see that as an increasingly cheaper option to place more flying, thus hardening their own prison keys.

I hate to say it, but fully 2/3 of current regional pilots will never see a major airline pilots position and are for all intents and purposes "lifers" at their carriers. Some just wont find a slot, due to competition and others will simply fall into some arbitrary negative (like age) through no fault of their own. As the majors relinquish more flying to larger RJ's, these carriers become the career stop for many. However, since they are not stand-alone airlines, but function on short-term outsourcing contracts of another, their compensation is effectively and successfully held down to the levels they are...........in perpituity.

Truly a bleak scenario for a large precentage of the current and future Airlinii Pilotus.