LOL This is so sad but can become a reality before we know it. The US has some of the lousiest standards for business and work ethic in the world, particularly for the airlines as most of us know. It would not surprise me if highschool kids start flying RJs fresh out of a cadet program. LOL The solutions that companies come up with to solve their labor issues (lack there of in current events) is illogical, idiotic and just plain stupid. This beating around the bush that the companies are doing with the pilot shortage is going to cost them huge in the long run. The solution is to just pay better wages, drastically improve benefits/retirement and improve the working environment to make the company more attractive which will increase employee longevity. Maybe if the companies started listening to the people (the employees!) that know what they're talking about they can actually move forward and get somewhere instead of taking huge strides backwards. And just maybe for one day an entire schedule can be fulfilled without delays due to a pilot shortage. It's amazing that most of these managers and CEOs graduated from Ivy league schools but have the logic, reasoning and brains of a rock. Actually, they would probably be out smarted by the rock.

The framer for our up and coming house makes more than a senior captain at a major airline. The plumber makes a truckload as well and the dump truck driver makes a little over $50K, as I looked into that for myself. The pay for most trade skills is going up while the pay for pilots is remaining at a level that amounts to dunnage dumped overboard from a ship (compared to what it use to be!)