Well I'm not sure what you are saying is consistent - you said that "why should we be mad at regional pilots flying airplanes bigger than 50 seats, when mainline pilot groups caved on scope" but the mainline pilots didn't cave back then (Comair 1991) - they didn't want those aircraft on their property.

 

What I am saying is there would be no gnashing of teeth about regionals flying 70+ seats if DALPA had scoped the CRJ-100 in 1991. Instead, Delta pilots thought they were too good to fly the "small jet" and it went to Comair, who was more than happy for the bigger paycheck and bigger equipment.

If Delta ALPA pilots had set a precedent in 1991 ensuring all turbojet aircraft would be flown by Delta pilots, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. But since Delta pilots were too good to fly a small Canadian jet they went to the 'commuters' and other mainline pilot groups followed suit, allowing former prop operators to fly small jets because their existance wasn't a "threat" to mainline jobs. Then comes the CRJ-700 and people say "hey the regionals are flying the CRJ-100/200, its the same type rating and only differences training, it is cheaper to fly them at the regionals". A few mainline groups resisted at first but eventually they traded that scope for something else they wanted. Now Mesa flies 86 seat CRJ-900s, Delta is buying CRJ-900s for God knows who, Mesaba is getting CRJ-900s, and RAH flies the 74 seat 170 and 86 seat 175...but the line has finally been drawn at the E190...at what eventual cost to us all?

US Airways used to have the smallest number of RJs...look at them now!!! I am very thankful Continental pilots have scoped any turbojets larger than 50 seats. I enjoy flying the CRJ but I don't want to be in this airplane the rest of my life, and I really don't desire 900s on property at ZW or anywhere else for that matter.

 

Exactly - it had nothing to do with caving on scope. They didn't want it there, for whatever reason, that was their decision, for the same reason ZW doesn't want any more props or 50 seaters.

The regionals took advantage of the situation later on though by taking 1/3 of the pay for flying the same equipment size (70 seaters).

It's not one groups fault - both (regional and mainline) helped proliferate the expansion of the RJs IMO.

But if you want to trace the beginnings back, I would say the rift started when the subcontractors/code share partners appeared. If you're buying a DAL ticket, you should be flying on DAL equipment with DAL employees.

 

Thanks...nothing is going to bring me down....it'll be exactly what I make it out to be.