I worked for ALG from 98 to 01- right at the end of the last upswing in aviation. The pay scale was almost identical to AWAC's current one. I made 32K my first year. I left as a CA and was on my way to about 60K (4th year). We had many CA's making 100K+. This was also when the major's pay-scales got pretty impressive (Delta 777 CA= $305/hour!). The early 90's were rough for everyone. Everyone was pretty much stuck wherever they were at the time. I know plenty of guys who sat right seat at a commuter for 6 or 8 years, and even more guys like me who ended up instructing for 5+ years. Sometimes it's a little hard to go on this forum and listen to the guys getting hired with three four or five hundred hours and just started flying a few years ago. I know they don't really understand what a downturn is, and what it means to pay your dues. I have every confidence that they will all eventually know.