There is definitely a lack of pilots wanting to enter the field. Some don’t want to do the work, some aren’t willing to put in the time it takes to get to a career company, while others won’t do it without a guaranteed outcome or defined timeframe. That is a problem, however the contraction of the 50 seat aircraft is also largely influenced by consumer demand and scope. Managers like Kirby would love to retire all of the 50 seaters and replace them with brand new 175’s and mainline aircraft where appropriate, but they can’t. The decision for the industry to shrink the 50 seaters is just as much influenced by scope, an aging fleet with no replacements, and customer complaints about a garbage product as it is a shortage of pilots. With increasing demand and limited airport capacity, the only way to meet that demand is with larger aircraft. Being that scope is maxed out, as gauge increases, the legacies grow and the regionals shrink.