[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']jungleJet,
you clearly have NO idea what you are talking about.
7 years FO will be the rule in Qatar very soon, with the new rules of 5 years to upgrade probably getting approved as we speak!
Maybe you where lucky enough to come in as a DEC....so did I....but you should always realize that this was PURE luck and at the expense of many FO waiting and waiting to get his chance at a left seat.
And yes, some of these long term FOs are weaker than the others and they will probably never see their command. But is this a shame? No it is not.
Not everybody is suitable to assume a command....and in most big airlines this is a recognized fact which is not frowned upon at all!
And most probable you and me, assuming you are a DEC, would fail the whole assessment thing here in QR in any case.
So remember lucky boy, 7 years FO's do not have the capital L imprinted on their forehead! And if a person fails to see this he/she should have a deeper look in the mirror!
CEO Pitas posts are a bit of a lower level, but sometimes he is right![/FONT]