historically, STL pilots get to fly, and RIC pilots get to sit. Don't konw how true that still is, but that was the old word. costs of living in both cities are about equal, so you probably wont' see a bunch coming out of ur pocket in either location.

Neither base is considered to be junior or senior, they'll send you where they need you. If all goes well, where you want to go, and what they need will be the same, in which case you'll get what you want, but if they're not...then you can probalby forget it. My class all got STL, 2 volenteered for RIC but didn't make it through training, heard recently that RIC is short staffed, and just about everyone else is going to head there...luck of the draw i guess.

Just about all of TSA flying is east coast oriented, however, the american side of things basically will come out of STL, and as i understand it, the US Airways side of things will be handled out of richmond. If you wanna see the east cost, either base will work, if you wanna see more of the east cost, RIC may be better for ya.