"Koolaid"
Amazing how this word came about! I work for a company that is likely the most familiar brand in the history of commerce. No company has ever made something as simple as a color, their identity. JetBlue is a very good airline. They have tackled adversity and come out on top. Not everything works all the time; JB realized that with some of their destinations, but they easily bounced back. Yup, the Koolaid. Is this what drives employees or is it more of an embarassment. I think the latter, but as long as the paychecks come in, then maybe it's ok.
Dogwood has a lot of flight time. I assume a good chunk of that came from USair. I also think that he didn't leave his previous company because it was time for a change. It was probably a forced move. Kudos to you for getting on with another carrier. The fact of the matter is that we all do our jobs for different reasons. Some parade in their uniforms to show off, others do it because it is the greatest part-time job, still others do it because they love to fly, etc, etc. Unfortunately, things that are said and done get understood in many different ways. First year pilots where I work are the biggest scoundrels of them all. Who could possibly work for that little!!!!!!!!!! What we decided was that the future looks bright and that there is a pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow. Case in point is the contract that we should be getting. The folks that get hired here come from everywhere with every kind of background.
I think that sharing opinions and the like is a good thing for those wanting to come on board. Some are a little over the top, ie. the little toy airplanes. But, if that is your thing then so be it. Others who have commented have said that things change quite a bit over 5 years. They are not exactly telling the truth, because things start changing after a year already. "Is this really what I signed up for?????". Salaries, duty-days, management blunders, etc all make us think that things are worse. I think that for many, things may have been better in a previous life. Unfortunately, that era is gone and we need to adapt.
DW, keep the faith and keep doing what you are doing. If this works for you then, why not? For the other guys, man you're doing it right, too. I am just glad that we don't have to worry about every little punk coming up through the ranks, moving ever closer to a cubicle at the window, trying to steal our jobs.
A little food for thought........maybe a little off topic, but something to consider.