Skywest mostly owns their own planes. This is typically good for the pilots because even if a contract cancels, or expires without being extended, management has a big incentive to find a new home for the planes in question. Also means that Skywest won't typically sign a three-year contract, since they're paying for the planes they want more assurance of long-term employment so the contracts are typically 10, 15, 20 years (I don't think they even like to do 10). That translates into longer-term employment stability without having to sweat it every couple of years when you contract is back up on the auction block.

All that said, try to avoid staying at the regionals long enough for any of this to matter.