USMCFLYR

Any job that involves flying can be a stepping stone to any job that one wants.

In the past, this job was not a stepping stone because level of experience that pilots came into this job - and usually where they came from - didn't need this job as a stepping stone. They came here specifically because they didn't want to be airline pilots.

Times are changing and the lure of the big major paycheck as lured some away, others who have left were furloughed airline guys who waited until the last call to return, a few have left and come back finding that the airline life was not for them after all, and some have come from the airlines for a variety of reasons.

But as to your specific question of using it as a stepping stone - with the current hiring environment at both this organization and the airlines - you will work much harder here to gain those hours to enhance your resume for the airlines and the flying that you do will be so different from the flying done at the airlines that I would highly suggest if you want to be an airline pilot - go be an airline pilot. You will be unhappy with the amount of study and other required work for those approx 400 hrs of flying per year rather than just flying for Brand X regional and getting twice the flight hours cruising between point A and point B. Remember the adage I use on here a lot to try and explain part of the job. It is NOT a flying job, it is a job that requires flying.