Out of around 1500 pilots who responded to their age as of May of 2006, there was about one third over 45 years old. We currently have about 2600 pilots and I can't say for sure that the results fully represent the pilot group as a whole, but I wouldn't be surprised if overall less than 1/3 currently here are over 45. I would also have to guess that with how people are living longer and needing more money for retirement and how medicare doesn't start until 65, there will be alot of guys truckin' here until 65. That means Class IV as it currently stands is a very unlikely Captain position for a newhire for at least 20 years (probably longer). We have very few Class IV and above and it's hard to say how things will turn out with any single carrier petition with NJI and/ or the growth of bigger airplanes going to NJEurope. NJA could end up with mostly Class III and below (like it presently is) for our entire careers. I'm coming into my mid 30s with a little over 300 pilots behind me. I'm guessing I'll be flying for another 30 years if I don't screw up. I think I'll be pretty lucky to see a class IV captain slot. At least the company tends to keep the CA/ FO ration at about 60/40, but there are just very, very few bigger airplanes and you've gotta figure that part of our flying will never be a very high percentage of our overall fleet. Pretty much all our customers are loaded more than any of us will ever see, but even most of them are not loaded enough to fly around in a big Falcon or Gulfstream. I'm guessing FO salaries will eventually get pushed high enough for more to consider it long term to fly the bigger airplanes and I also have to guess that eventually we will not grow so fast and we'll have a lot of long term FOs who won't have the option of upgrade for a long, long time. The right seat on something big is probably all that most new guys will ever see (on the big side) since CA pay will probably always be higher in the smallest airplanes than the right seat in the big ones. At 26 years old, I'd say you would have a good shot at something big, but not for a long, long time.