Originally Posted by johnso29

I'm not asking you to trash Skywest. My point was without a union your pilot group has to jump when management says jump, & do it with a smile. His overall experience would have little to do with lack of rest because of a middle of the night sim time. A union helps prevent that.

Originally Posted by johnso29

Ummmmmm, ASA belongs to Skywest & they have furloughs so that's not accurate. Secondly, I'm certain Skywest has quite a few 50 seaters so them becoming obsolete will only lengthen your time at Skywest so you may want to think about that. If ASA gets cheaper, those 70 seaters might find their way over to them since you don't have a contract. Is there a legally binding document that keeps managent from doing so?

Originally Posted by JDFlyer

Yes, I say it again, and again, and again, for the vast majority of Skywest pilots, we have a very good working relationship with our management and our flight training department.

Individual cases are always an exception to the rule. I am not going to get into it with you about Tony. I personally do not know him. I have no PERSONAL knowledge about the day or the facts surrounding his taking his systems final exam, or his oral exam, or his simulator checkride. I have read his version of his story as he has posted it from time to time here. I believe him . . . . . yes, I believe him . . . . . . let me say it again . . . . . I believe him . . . . . .now let me qualify that, I believe him up to the point that his version of events ends and Skywest's begins.

I also believe that Skywest has a version of their side of the facts as well. There are always two sides to every employment story. Neither I nor you know what exactly happened with him because, WHAT A SHOCK, Skywest does not share his confidential employment/training records with other Skywest employees, including me or others outside the company.

I don't expect that anybody from our flight training department is going to come on these forums and give the company's version of things. Nobody from Skywest management is going to post a rebuttal to his posts.

Nobody was holding a gun to his head to attempt an early upgrade to the left seat in the CRJ. Nobody was forcing him to do anything. I assume he chose to attempt to upgrade voluntarily. With every choice, you, me or Tony makes in life - there are consequences. Hopefully for all of us the consequences are good and not bad. I truly feel bad for Tony, I truly wish the outcome had been different for him.

But I REFUSE to trash Skywest for a confidential and private employment decision they made.

Enough talking about Tony.

Originally Posted by JDFlyer

Fair enough. My only reply would be that Tony as well as every other Skywest pilot, including myself, knew what the "rules" were before I put my bid in for upgrade. Skywest makes no secret and no apologies for the fact that under certain conditions, it is either "up" or "out". Union or no union, the rules of the contract, or the rules of the company are what they are.

I knew what I was risking when I made my upgrade attempt. I knew what was at stake. So did he.

Everything I write below is NOT in reference to TonyWilliams in any way shape or form. They are just general statement for purposes of our conversation.

Every so often I read on these forums, posts by energetic first officers bantering back and forth about how soon they can upgrade at company X or company Y. How much more money they are going to make, how much quicker they will move on to Delta or Continental or FedEx or whoever. That's great. (Granted, the days of quick upgrades at the regionals are long, long gone) But in some cases, they should be careful what they ask for, they just might get their opportunity to "prove" themselves before they have the self-awareness to realize it may not be the right time yet for them.

Being a Captain at any 121 airline is a privilege, not a right - whether that be a 30 seat turbo prop or an B747-400 and everything in between.