Eaglefly,
Generally, I think that your posts are very insightful, based on fact and are for the most part unbiased. But here you are making some broad generalizations about a group you may be out of touch with.
"To them, all that's important is "right now". Getting jet PIC time and being able to make the payments on a new 'vette is important for 27 year olds, not what might be in their best interest in 15 years. Pilots are great at flying planes, but pretty stupid in many other ways."
I work at Eagle and fit right into your 27 year old category. I don't really have anything as extravagant as a 'vette and I don't know any other FO's here that are worried about making payments on anything other than their homes and providing for their families.
To suggest this causes you to sound like you don't respect many of the FO's you fly with or consider them very responsible. Sure, I am probably guilty of being worried about things in the present that may be considered trivial and superficial. But to suggest that FO's at Eagle, both junior and senior, are not concerned about their future at this airline as well as their potential careers outside of Eagle is just ludicrous.
You seem to put a lot of responsibility on the young pilots for both the state of the industry today as well as where it is headed in the future. No doubt, we will have to live up to the task as the senior guys retire and we move up the ranks. But tell me, what are you and your senior peers doing to help the problem?
"My guess is another 2-3 years to milk that fat cow furiously getting every last drop until she is led out of the barn and replaced with a scraggly goat."
Apparently, not much. Anyone else see a "ME ME" attitude here? One normally reserved for the 27 year old with a "vette" looking for fast PIC.
I'm not trying to suggest it's all on you and your peer group, but geez, throw me a bone here. Educate the young guys so we can work together. We are willing to listen. I'm just tired of hearing from senior captains, " hurry up and leave Eagle." Wow, that's the best advice I've heard, why didn't I think of that?
Seems like they already gave up.
Lets get those golden days back in any form we can