Don't get hung up on a specific example. The point is that the regionals right now have gone to hiring people in their late 50s knowing that they'll get at max 3-5 years of service out of them. The entire 'we can't afford to train someone unless we own their ass for 15 years of servitude' thing is out the window. They are willing to take anyone with the qualifications and the capacity to do the job for now. There would be an entire separate pool of candidates willing to fly for the regionals if they could be assured a regular schedule. 4 days of flying from 5:40am until 3pm every week of the year with 2 weeks off. The same set of 2 or three short hops from their base (wherever that base may be). It would make regional flying no different from any other local transportation job out there. With the way airline schedules work right now, the only way someone with kids can make it work is if they have a stay at home spouse or some other fixed childcare arrangement. Around here you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a realtor or applebees waitress who has an ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI from UND but was not willing to put up with the craziness. Some folks fly for the short hop parcel haulers because you know what your schedule and your routes are going to be. Sure, an airline will always need people they can move around on the chessboard to fill in as the needs arise, but they could also have a group of folks on a fixed schedule, whatever that schedule may be.
But yes, I know. 'It can't be done' because 'it has never been done' and 'we are so different you wouldn't understand'. No I do understand. I work in a 24/7 work environment where 16 slots on spreadsheet have to be filled every day with some times of the day having 12 people on and other times just me. Some of the slots get filled with folks who work 1 FTE, some are .8 .67 or per diem, some work weekdays + weekends and others just do nights. You industry is not unique in having to cover off-hours.
