It won't take 5-6 years to get a contract because it CAN'T. With the constant exodus of pilots and the inability to train people fast enough, this method of doing business is unsustainable. If the present course is unaltered, there will either be an FAA-imposed cessation of operations or (heaven forbid) a cessation that results from a disaster with loss of life. The current pilots are what's keeping the second scenario from unfolding. As these pilots leave for better-paying pastures and the only pilots we can attract have questionable experience levels, I fear the worst.