There are MANY ways to add pay for little or no work here. Our top 500 captains are topped out (more then 18 years) and I know dozens that make as much or more then me. If you don't commute, are flexible and know how to use the contract for your benefit, then it's more than possible. One CRJ captain I know (who is the "master" when it comes to contractual self-benefit) made $142,000 on the CRJ and he doesn't even do IOE !

This WILL include some OT, but with 15-18 days off for many senior and a good day trip can bring in $900, free pay for transition conflicts etc., it's no wonder why Eagle wants to get rid of senior captains (and many don't want to flowthrough to AA). Most topped out ERJ captains probabaly are only a little over $100K, as many commute and then it's MUCH more difficult to do this.......at least if you want a life.

Likewise, our F/O scale tops out about 37K/year (based on 75 hours/month), but I've flown with MANY F/O's whove made 55-60K/year. So when you double the pay rate, it's not hard to see how you can double the total compensation.

It seems so many here declare all senior regional pilots as "losers", but if you ask 10 people on the street if a job that pays 10K/month, health care, dollar for dollar match on 401(k), travel benefits, reasonable time off (I still get at least 12 days off per month and even a couple of extra half days) and relative job security (my airline has to virtually liquidate for me to lose my job...at least for THAT reason) is good, most would be looking for a place to sign up. It takes a long time to get there though, but once you have it sure changes the way the rest of the industry looks. Of course, no guarantees, but that is why its best (actually IMPERATIVE) you have an independant source of income........then IMHO, you've got the best of both worlds.

Personally, if I had gone to a major I wouldn't have had the time to start and nuture another source of income and I'd be shooting craps hoping my major carrier didn't screw me. Of course, with two exceptions I'd have had my pension gutted and in most all cases my pay cut and my schedule whacked in the wrong direction, so yes I would have been screwed just as feared. I made a different choice then many, because I don't trust this industry and I knew that senioirty is THE name of the game........well, that and luck. A typical 5 year furlough from a major can claim 400K (or more) from a pilots total income not including any pension accrual lost during furlough and that's tough to make back. Loss of 75% of pension could be a million........it adds up, so when you look in the rear-view mirror at 60 (or 65), and tally up two pilots, one that had a lot of hard luck on the major airline path and one that had really good luck on the regional path, you might find that regional pilot did as good or even better compensation wise (and certainly stress wise). A second income can change that exponentially.

The E-JET's are not only coming, they're here and if you believe that it means more hard luck on the major side and more good luck on the regional, it pays to at least CONSIDER this reality. This reality is a byproduct of our profession (ALPA and pilots) previous faliure to come together and the continuous desire to remain divided. If you don't believe that, just read through these forums.......it's constant and undenyable. All I've said from day one, is now it's too late, we've screwed OURSELVES as a profession and management and bean-counters have set the economic reality with the consumer approving.

We all make our choices, choose our paths and live with the results. At this point it's best to survey where the future is going and where it's almost certainly continuing to go when making those choices, so you have no regrets over the path one has chosen.

A harsh reality it is.