FWIW, I was riding in the bus to NATCO back in '99, and a guy was there upgrading to DC-9 captain at 4 years, 11 months. And it wasn't at "Express pay" neither (close to a buck ninety an hour).

Numerically speaking, as of the last bid, I am almost farther away from any captain seat than I was in 1999. The closest I ever got was 4 to go.

Nu