NSF,
I certainly hope that by taking an alternative view to you, I am not automatically engaging in a 'slanging match'. As I was at pains to point out, I respect your experience and right to put forward an opinion. I simply expect the same of you in return.
The example I was citing relates to the move from Q400, to the Emb 195. The latter has a MTOW of a fraction under 50t and whilst I am sure someone will feel the need to point out that this is less than a 319 I don't feel the difference is significant enough to dismiss as a 'small jet'.
I also take absolutely no offence at your comments (the same cannot necessarily be said of the former colleagues at Air Berlin, some of whom also moved from TPs to 738 / A320). Anyone who knows me will also confirm that I am in no way an Alpha Male and have personally little to prove.
For the little that it is worth, I had the choice of taking an unstable job as captain on a 737-700 or a more secure job on the Q400. I opted for the latter and now enjoy a relatively secure job (the most important thing of all, upon which I hope we all agree) with Ts&Cs that most pilots would kill for (albeit at the cost of some salary).
Again, as anyone who knows me will confirm, I am the archetypal average pilot. I found the 738 neither easy nor difficult to fly in comparrison to the F100 of which I have considerable experience. The Q400, on the other hand, with its absence of auto-thrust, lower (i.e. more ice prone) cruising levels and diabolical master caution panel (setting the park brake triggers a caution warning!) demands a level of flying ability I was last required to demonstrate on the Fokker 27!
I think we have both made our point, so let's agree to differ and perhaps pursue this over a beer should we ever meet
.
KT