Jeez, you got a good memory buddy, that was 16 years ago
Word of warning though, having also held a command at our old firm, I can confirm that the course here is a helluva lot tougher!! But as you say its clearly made easier having had previous LHS time.
Agreed, the corporate mentality here is certainly geared towards it being a 'Captains Airline', but I think it is safe to say that
generally that mentality doesn't creep into the cockpit. I certainly felt an integral part of the decision making process especially when it was my sector and didn't find the gradient that steep, maybe that was just me though?