Lots of intelligent things said here. Thank you for all your replies thus far.

Bcrosier said, "If the only goal acceptable to you is a 121 job, then you have tremendously limited your options."

What are my goals? Huh. They used to be to fly a wide-body, int'l for a major US airline. I know with almost certainty that will never happen for me. Not because of the washout exclusively, but the type and company change overs and paycuts associated with such a climb would do me in for sure. I don't have the time anymore.

One thing I've seen is the rise of high paying contract work over-seas. I notice pay for equal experience on same "type" is about 66% higher than it is here in The States. I grew up both here and in another Western country. I don't have a wife or kids nor do I own a home here in the USA. I've never seen my "home" as the USA. I've seen my home as "Planet Earth". I'd be happy to ultimately get a contract Captain position in a EMB 190 or A320 and gross $13,000 - $17,000 a month. If I would decide to keep a residence here in the USA the computability and time-off splits on some of the contracts look appealing. Leaving the USA for good doesn't scare me one bit. In fact, it could be financially liberating.

Bcrosier said, "I've seen people new to the industry that don't quite understand what's expected in an airline training program."

I think you very well hit the nail on the head. I felt as if somewhere I'd dropped the ball of continued preparation for a career at an airline. I allowed the recession to lull me into a relaxing of my forward thought on aviation. For some time over the course of the last 3.5 years, I became a "career flight instructor" only with thoughts of being an airline pilot. I stopped "studying for the future". The FMS and FMA on the type were a complete mind-f%*!'. Very archaic. I know those were my weak spots. They are for many.

I was always able to take my time studying my way through college and getting my flight ratings. This material was the first time I'd have to know everything on their bullet fast time-tables, not mine. I studied hard and long. At one point I was even asked if I was sleeping at the training center since I was always the last one out and first one in. My wash wasn't for a lack of effort.

CubDriver Said, "You need to recognize that it was you alone who put you where you are now. You will also be the only one who can fix your problems, although it is always fine to ask for help as you are doing. Many of us make poor choices along the way and we admit them and get to making a solution."

Although I do agree with much that you wrote, I find this to be a very escapist perspective proliferated by corporatists and conservative thinkers. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but if I do understand what you're saying, you're saying that I somehow had a hand in the evaporation of opportunity in the airline pilot occupation. No, indeed management and "the unchecked free-market philosophy" own their share of my/our fate too. Did I "decide" to remain in this occupation? Sure. I did. After spending 11 years and $110,000 am I just supposed to leave the occupation I was just trained in at the slightest sign of trouble? I am now contemplating leaving, however. I don't own the fall off a 12 foot plank if corporate shows me its length first, only to blind-fold me then cut the last two feet off the end. Was I naive enough to give private America the benefit of the doubt? Yup. But the only people whose character the last 10 years impeaches are corporations.

Jughead said, "I'm not sure what this means. Your training partner was dragging you down? I understand that has some effect, but if you're "getting" it and he's not, why were you two viewed as a package deal? Harsh as it seems, you're there for you and only you."

Someone had asked earlier what my times are, so I'll start with that. I currently have 2000TT and 400 Multi. My partner had only 700TT, had never been a CFI, had never logged any time in a glass cockpit, was from a 3rd-world-nation and had no sense of urgency. Before splitting us up about half way through the sims, the instructor had been spending 3 of the 4 hours of every sim, teaching him. I sat by watching the minutes tick away. THAT'S an anchor. The training dept. fairly recognized him as one and split us up. Now, had I been strong enough, yes, I would have been able to come back from behind the power-curve. However, I was not. I own that. I think a jet transition course would have been the difference. I was never a check pilot at the flight school I worked at, but I renewed my instructor certificate on the ground of maintaining an 80%+ pass rate.