You are not the only person whose career was set back by disasters, war, etc. As you accuse the majors of forgetting their roots, one can pretty much surmise that regional pilots get to the point where they think somebody owes them something. I remember meeting a friend who was a newly minted cfi while I was commuting someday. of course, he was giddy to be sitting next to a 20-something Delta captain and was full of questions. How could he best gain experience, what was the best direction to take, etc. I told him to be wary of the pitfalls of the profession, and specifically not to forget the feeling of wanting to move on to a major. Sure enough, 2 years later he was a freshly minted captain at a fast growing regional. A year after that, he is pissed off at his major partner because they are not letting his regional have larger jets. I reminded him of our conversation, and he had some excuse for needing the money, blah, blah, blah. He had the audacity to try and lecure me about scope, and how majors needed to relinquish it, blah, blah, blah.
Bottom line, scope is where it is because of money. The majority of major pilots were not too good to fly rjs. Rjs were not even in their eyes when they snuck under the radar as 50 seat aircraft. All aircraft under 70 seats or less were allowed when Comair started flying the rjs. Jet or turboprop didn't matter. Once the contract came around again, Delta was knocking on BKs door, pilots were on furlough, and the majority were convinced to trade jobs for money. The trend then took off. By the time C2k came around, RJs were huge and in great numbers. ALPA had marching orders to stop the bleeding, but had other problems as well with regard to a C scale operation in MCO with 737-200s, not to mention a group who alienated themselves at the worst possible time within Deltas two wholly owneds. Thence, more money, a LOT more, was thrown the Delta pilots' way. Which lands us to pretty much where we are today.
While you insist that it is ego, you are wrong. If so, then the Comair pilots have the same ego, for their contract allows outsourcing of small aircraft as well, or did. Fact is that money talks, ego stops at the door.
While you believe that all flying should be done by one group of pilots, it is not your judgement to make. Accusing guys of forgetting their roots is two fold. just as many forget where they were headed as forget where they've been. Likewise, you have another dynamic in the way of the military pilot who has a whole different perspective. Turboprop drivers in the service are generally the ones who finished lower in class. Less skilled, if you will(Except for those ANG C-130 guys who wanted to be in a unit close to home!!!):beer: . Military pilots ARE a force to be reckoned with at this level, and money talks to them more than smaller aircraft as entry level aircraft at Delta. They are a large voting block at Delta, and most are beginning to see the light. Try putting yourself into 150K and up salary range and worrying about a 50K aircraft on the list. Simply put,until you've been there, you can't--so don't even bother trying
Scope battle is indeed coming to the forefront at Delta, especially as more and more civilians get hired. It will NOT come about to the satisfaction of Comair and ASA drivers. It will be slowly incorporated into the mix via flow through AND flow back, much to the chagrin of the RJDC crowd. Civilian pilots don't forget their roots, neither do military pilots. Suggesting that they have, as you have, is a slap in the face. Likewise, being insensitive to military pilots' beliefs--as most regional pilots are--is a recipe for continued frustration, and failure with respect to achieving cooperation.
That's the way it is. You don't have to like it, but it is what it is.
