Originally Posted by Anderson

There's just so much wrong with this kind of thinking.

Captains and FOs have the same training. They have the same type ratings. They have the same ATP certificates. The physical safety of both is equally at risk. Both have an equal responsibility for the safety of the passengers (FOs can kill everyone on board just the same as a captain can).

Captains put their good name and record on the line much more than FOs? How is that?? FOs put their records and certificates on the line just the same. So often both the captain AND the FO get fired and/or violated for incidents and accidents.

I realized a long time ago that captains do not earn their seats, as you suggest. If that was true, then how do you explain some regional captains upgrading in 18 months while others don't make it to the left seat for 8 years? Did the 8 year FO perform so poorly that it took him nearly 5 times longer to earn what the other guy did? It's simply a matter of luck and timing when someone is able to upgrade.

The pay scale disparity is completely asinine. You mentioned capitalism as if it's a factor; free market capitalism is no where to be found in unionized airline pilot pay scales. Companies hand over a certain amount of money to the whole pilot group, and unions divide up the money in a very artificial, anti free-market type of system.