You all make a lot of points, and I agree with many of them. The latter threads seem to be very accurate and would be better seen to EVERYONE out there - especially customers! It bothers me to see that some of the earlier threads in this conversation pit pilots against pilots, and we all know that's not fair. As an outsider (merely an aviation buff and commercial aviation customer) who lurks on these boards, I see what looks to be a major management problem, as well as a major regulatory problem. The FAA doesn't have the balls to state the real underlying problems, management wants the cheapest labor no matter what (they are more concerned about maximizing short-term shareholder value over long-term value), and customers are too blind to realize that they're getting contracted flights from who-knows-who. The guys running the contracted carriers are doing their best and so are the pilots, so they can't be totally blamed (unless they're RAH, because they blew midwest :-) don't get too offended unless you're an RAH manager - if you are, have a nice day). I work for a marginal local non-profit that routinely hires less-than-optimal people. My salary is less than even that of the bottom-of-the-rung regional pilot so I can't blame ambitious people for taking the work, but at the same time, no lives are really at stake as a result of my work. If regional pilots are recruited with less than optimal training at less than optimal salaries, they're not to blame - they just want a job and are willing to take one up the ### to get there! Regardless of my little side-track and whatever our opinions are of regional pilots and aircraft, let's not forget that most of these problems originate with customers (and their search for the lowest possible fares, yet still expecting f__ing caviar and free hookers), management (their lust for making the best possible bottom line for future promotions - at any cost), and regulators who scratch backs with management and screw the licensed professionals who have the burden of getting everyone where they want to be on time safely. So what comes next? Instead of blaming regional pilots for taking the jobs, and instead of just b""""ing about all of the problems, what's it going to take? Customer awareness? Customer revolt? I might have a few ideas, but in any case it has to come from the customers. Big companies have a tendency not to listen to employees. Money talks.