A long, long time ago....
... there was a little bitty airline on the East Coast feeding UAL that shall remain nameless, based in IAD which is not far from the Atlantic Coast.
Yours truly was hired into the Jetstream 41, and after six months had the chance of either upgrading to CRJ F/O (and getting seat locked for a couple years) or staying as a J41 F/O for a few more months then upgrading to J32 CA.
I, and a couple others, were one of the ONLY ones in our class to stay in the props. Everyone else went lusting after the CRJ. As a result, I got my J32 CA bid while all those other ones stayed in the CRJ right seat in order to fly a "real" airplane that had jets and made the ladies swoon... while I sweated it out putting condition levers to Flight, prop sync on, staying in the teens through God knows what kind of weather, and those same ladies probably felt sorry for me.
But today as I reminisce from the right seat of the 75/76, I realize that, as I'd been told, "the jets will come in due time. Have fun flying the props as these are the funnest, most challenging aircraft to fly in airline service, and they will make a heck of a pilot out of you." They were right.
So to all of you Dash, Saab and Beech drivers that I still see from time to time slugging it out amongst the barbie jets, you have my complete and uttermost respect and I salute you. Keep the brotherhood alive!
73