This might be helpful to some of you. Separated USAF 1973, interviewed AA Oct that year a week before the oil embargo started, everything shut down, I used my BE working at Turkey Point for 5 years. Had a visit from a UPT classmate, hired by Air Cal, sometime in those five years who said I'll get you in to Air Cal. I thought not doable due to us having a house to sell and wife with a job so I thanked him. After about five years things picked up and all were hiring and I interviewed with EAL and UA. I think AA also started but still had the age 26 cutoff which I had passed by a year or two. EAL hired me and I was a happy camper although progression was slow due to Poli's ATC strike and other economic glitches. Some years later my Mom told me UA called her ( the only phone number I had at the time) asking where I was and she told them I already had a job with EAL. She never told me till much later in casual conversation. 10 years pass, long stories abound, and we EAL pilots honor Charlie Bryan's strike. You all know how that ended up. I ended up at AA where my UPT Air Cal merged friend was now a Captain. But I digress. AA trip we have an Alaska pilot on jumpseat. AA at the time was not a fun place but Alaska was flying high and we told him we envied him. Then he told us his story. Got in on the ground floor with Fedex flying Falcons. Fred Smith was bouncing paychecks and our JS quit Fedex and went to Braniff. You all know how that worked out. My moniker was engendered by a guy I was flying with who said you will be in better shape with one wife and as many airlines as it will take. He was not a happy camper with one airline and I don't know how many exes.