The Dude,

You guys know a lot about me and like to take shots from behind your anonymity. Why don't you put your cards on the table? Tell me the wisdom behind sticking with a profession that treats its employees so poorly.

You mentioned that you have been laid off more than once. I have seen and flown with plenty of guys who have bounced from company to company. Each time they get laid off they keep coming back for more. And each time they loose a little more. Sometimes it is money. Other times it is a spouse.

As a regional and LCC guy I flew with plenty of hard luck pilots. The ones I have known are worn out, divorced and one paycheck away from destitution by middle age. It was nothing to envy. Are you really saying that it is a better life? I am here to learn and would really like to know.

So, what am I missing? Why should I sell myself to another no name company to someday make slightly more than a mailman as captain of a wide body? What is the future of an airline pilot today?

Skyhigh