Neither of us are doing anything to improve pilot QOL at Skywest. The difference is that I don't bother to tell people to 'stand up for themselves', thereby implying that I'm doing something and they're not.

It's simple supply and demand. As long as there are enough bright-eyed, 21-year-old CFIs straight out of Riddle with R-ATP tickets lining up for Skywest classes, there is no logical reason for Chip & Co to lift one single finger to change working conditions here. I've only been here just under 2 years and we've grown by 650 pilots... meaning that recruiting is staying well ahead of attrition.

Trying to change this place is futile. A union's not going to help; the record of unions at FFD carriers speaks for itself, while SAPA is basically a collection of high school hall monitors with zero actual influence. You can tell people to 'stand up for themselves' all day long, but what does that mean in practice?

The bottom line is, Skywest -- like any FFD carrier -- is and should be a career stepping stone, not a destination. But the Lost Decade created a whole generation of pilots who, through no fault of their own, appear to be stuck at FFD carriers, possibly for the rest of their careers. All that you can do, if you're unhappy with conditions here, is to get your time, upgrade, get that check airman class, attend all the job fairs you can, and do anything and everything you can to move on.

But thinking that any of us pilots will ever have a significant effect on how SGU operates is simply wishful thinking. You're a part number, just like the #7 LE fan blade or seat 5D is a part number. You're easily replaceable, just as I am.