Jamestkirk - Agree with you totally and yes, that
has been said to some in the past as you correctly state, as well as the man himself saying at a Base Captains meeting that he wouldn't need any of them in 10 years anyway as the aircraft would be flying themselves by then!
Agree also with your comment about the DFO who is probably one of the main reasons the whole thing hasn't imploded over the last year! The poor guy must spend half of his working day literally
at the often incompetent and exasperating decisions made by those around and above him!