And therein is the rub. The reason that DECs are being hired is that a lot of senior FOs WON'T upgrade until they can hold a line as a captain in the base they are already in. Which means the DEC tends to sit reserve and not fly a great deal unless/until he has done it long enough to acquire the seniority that would have enabled them to upgrade if they'd hired on as a FO. Granted, they still make the min hour guarantee - and min hour guarantee at captain pay rates at that - but it isn't a recipe for rapid accumulation of TPIC.