I spent 6 1/2 years as an FO on the ER in NYC and never got tired of it. I went to capt. on the MD80 in ATL and did not like it at all - I was spoiled. ATL wasn't bad it was the MD80 mission that I didn't like.

If you want to stay senior then NYC is the place to be. There are plenty of negatives that others can tell you about but over all for me I'd be happy to stay in NYC my whole career. I would think that most pilots don't have the same feelings about NYC as I have.

I live in Chicago so the commute isn't bad and I'm used to the cold and the big city life. For me the most important thing is to live where you want. If you want to live near your extended family or just love a certain place then that is where you should be. If that is not important then pick a base that suits you and move there.

Here are some thoughts about the bases:

ATL- You'll be able to fly any equipment and as long as Delta is around there will be always be base there. It stays Senior in the larger equipment catagories.

CVG- A crapshoot. Fairly small and senior. It will probably stay around if we don't merge. Long term growth looks bad.

LAX- It's not going to go away and it has been junior. Possiible long term growth if you believe managment. You have to cover three to four airports.

NYC- Junior. If you don't mind living in the northeast and don't want to commute this would be the best bet for a retired military guy. You will get to captain quicker and will be relatively senior in catagory throughout your career. Most pilots commute and the chief pilots office understand that. Long term viability looks good.