And really, does one *really* think 'hell, I just got 10 people on board so I can do what I want..." and the next day, "Oh, jez.. I got 100 people on board so I gotta fly extra safe..."? No one has a sliding scale of skill and proficiency and safety based on the number of people on board.
Then why does a 737 CA make more than a CRJ700 CA that flies the same route??
Expectation of perfection is simplistic and unrealistic.
Perfection is expected and demanded. That is part of being a
professional pilot. Any performance by myself that is less than perfect is a failure on my part and I strive to be better. Same with any
professional career - athletes, manufacturing, lawyers. You don't buy a coffee pot, discover it doesn't work and think "well, the guy making this may have had a bad day so it's OK that this doesn't work and I'll go buy another" rather than try to get your $60 back.
the one butt on the airplane I am most concerned about is MINE
Totally agree.