Honest question: Any thoughts on how a (potential) DEC might approach the "credibility" gap between him/herself... (if he/she is just getting back into 121)... when flying with a super-sharp FO that (very likely) knows more about the operation, more about the airports, and more about recent changes to how things are now being done in the regional environment?

Asked another way: I can't even imagine how frustrating it might be for someone sitting in the right-seat to have to deal with a DEC that is (relatively speaking) behind the power curve on some of the airline-specific ground and administrative stuff... so yes, in all sincerity, any thoughts or suggestions on how to approach this would be most welcome!

If qualified you can direct entry Captain in Fort Worth flying ATR 72's for Silver Airways (Amazon Prime cargo)

I flew as an FO with someone who fits the description. Luckily it was only a turn.. unfortunately the company doesn't take into account how long ago you got your 121 hours, as long as it looks good on paper they’ll force the upgrade.

Thanks Chato, I appreciate you offering this. In my case it's not so much a matter of how old and moldy my 121 time is... it's that it was (very recently) acquired hauling on-demand, 121 freight. So yeah, very comfortable going into and out of desolate places, in uncontrolled airspace, at 3 AM... or even major metropolitan airports in the middle of the day... but it was always en route to some odd corner of the airport where there was a freight ramp.

Navigating gates, allies, pax... and all that "stuff" associated with moving people... it will all be new. And the absolute last thing I want to lack is cred with the folks I'm flying with. Not certain if there's a way to get around being on the backside of this particular curve, but I figured asking questions was one of the places to start.

Thanks again for the glimpse into this dynamic from the right-seat... it really is appreciated.

The idea of DECs like the ones I flew with as a NH flying with the new hire FOs hitting the line now is frankly terrifying to me. We’ve had a lot of brain drain in the training department and a lot of institutional knowledge has gone out the door with those pilots. I predict craters.

I second this, unfortunately.
I sat js recently on a DEC on OE and it was sketchy as hell.
I was frankly mad by the time we landed, as the bugger was so far behind the airplane it was incompressible that this tool was going to be on the line within weeks beside a new guy straight off IOE.
All we need as an industry is a crater and the public catching wind of how green the dude with four stripes might be.

I did a JFK-YYZ turn with a Mesa DEC who had been CRJ PHX and he was worth approximately zero on the flight. Had no clue how to get around or how the 145 worked. It was a wonderful time. Thankfully it was only the one time. He was a nice person but woefully unprepared to be in the seat.

New to the captain seat, new to the plane, new to the base or new to the company. One of those at a time is usually enough to manage. You start having to deal with two or more and it tends to be a recipe for problems, and as I pointed out in another thread, there was an FAA letter about ten pages long that outlined many of those. Fortunately none have been catastrophic, yet. Hopefully it will remain that way, but as overall experience levels plummet, people are flying in borrowed time…

I’m assuming you mean the 175. Mesa doesn’t have 145s.

Mesa operated 145’s for Delta in the mid 2000’s. But the way in interpreted that story was the guy was a CRJ pilot in PHX with Mesa, then came to Envoy as a 145 DEC.