Anyone who dissagrees with article is insane. ATPs and type ratings should be the norm in the 121 world.
I can't have a conversation with friends outside the industry without trying to explain our current situation to them. Pinnacle pilots screwing in the woods or worse... in the case of their crash. Comairs crash where the FO wouldnt stop talking about all of our companies problems and the Captain that didnt put the parking brake on... and TELL HIM to **** THE HELL UP.
Never mind the nonsense that exists at Mesa, Go Jet, etc.
Everyone outside the airline industry is baffled by the fact that an airplane painted in mainline colors, sold by mainline..... would be flown by some entirely different company whos captain flunked every checkride and was only at the airline for 4 years despite being 47 years old... and an FO that was scared of a normal icing situation.
The publc is calling for single carrier solutions to this problem. ie... no Regional sub-par airlines.
I just hope there has been enough blood priority to make this happen.