This is the readers digest version of my story.

In 1995 I I took a leave of absence from Continental and went to work for Tower Air as a 747-100/200 FO. Some good pilots that flew there and were really quality pilots - ex CAL (full term strikers and no scabs) Ex EAL (strikers), ex Braniff, Ex Pan Am. A lot of non skd pilots who had flown for many bottom feeders over the years. Some of the non skd pilots were just flat out weirdos and absolutely miserable to fly with.

I went 42 days without a day off. On day 42 coming home from Tel Aviv to JFK and finally supposed to have days off. I couldn’t sleep at all on my layover. I was totally stressed out being away from home for so many days. Also had been flying with a really bad CA and PFE (both non skd types) for several trips during this 42 day stretch. Flight left Tel Aviv for JFK at midnight arriving in JFK at 4 AM.

My leg, 12 hour flight to JFK. Old school three pilot flight deck so no crew rest like today on 3 & 4 man augmented flights. I could barely talk to both pilots because they were just total weirdos. A few hours out of TLV, I tell the CA I barely slept on layover. I was totally exhausted now, would he mind if I shut my eyes for a while. A common practice back in the day on three pilot un augmented long international flights.

He responded and said no. I said fine, I’m fatigued already and we have 9 hours to go to JFK so why don’t you just take the leg and fly the remainder of the flight. He responded no, your leg you fly. Not a word other then required communication said for remainder of the flight.

Fast forward to 9 hours later. A thunderstorm took out the ILS at JFK. We are flying a non precision approach. My head is bobbing forward uncontrollably and I can’t keep awake. Below 5000 feet I literally fall asleep three separate times. Each time they shake me and said wake up and start laughing like there getting a kick out of this. In my stupor, I managed to fly for a while and fall asleep a total of three times.

Somehow I barely keep awake and we land without incident. Now taxing in the FE tells me hey the company is extending you. Your DH’ing to the west coast in a few hours to fly a pacific trip for a week. I thought he was busting my balls and it was a joke, We block in and sure enough before one PAX gets off (500 paxs in cattle car configuration) someone comes up stairs to give me a ticket for my DH.

I walk into the chief pilot office, tell him I’m fatigued and going home. This is my two weeks notice and I’ll be back to fly the remainder of my two weeks when I’m fully rested several days later. He says hey I now we are short (only had 2.5 crews per airplane at the time and hiring for 4 crews per airplane). But soon you’ll be able to get your 12 days off per month. I say I’m going back to Continental to get my 15 to 18 days off I’m out of here.

True story.

I spent a year at ATI in 95/96 and can 100% verify this is exactly how it was there too. I’ve even had a similar experience to yours being so tired I couldn’t see straight. I also walked off a trip never to return.

Mine isn't nearly so dramatic, but... I quit less than 2 weeks after submitting paperwork on where the company could send my contract signing bonus. Got the bonus check too.

Is it bad that I'm actually seriously considering updating my logbook and refreshing applications at a couple of places that would almost 100% guarantee a 7-figure improvement in career pay?

QOL is everything, and SWA has negative QOL right now. So a 7 figure pay raise plus a QOL boost is looking real good right about now. I won't plan an I-quit scene until I have a training date though, because it's already pretty awful here.

im sure everyone feels sorry for you. Good luck with these terrible set of circumstances you’ve been cursed with.

I’m curious where you can get a seven figure pay raise over SWA. Unless you’re compiling salary over many years.

that's what thought. He did say over career pay. 1 milion over the career might be worth a move if everything else was as good o better but I wouldn't change just for that. Pick up a trip a month and make good decisions and you'll get that back.

I was on the Trump Shuttle when they had the contract ferrying USAF crews around the country during the first Gulf War. We landed at the Memphis Guard base late at night. Captain took a wrong turn and put the main gear in the mud. We all deplaned and stood around looking at the mess when the Captain showed up. He threw his hat in the mud in disgust and stomped off shouting "I quit!". We spent the night in a hanger while they found another Captain to fly the plane out.

Of course compiling career earnings.

A guy I know just got hired by United, got his first pick, then during training was offered 787. He has 2 years less than me remaining until age 65, 3.5 yrs less seniority there than I have at SWA, and he'll out-earn me by a large amount even though I can work 2 years longer than he can and I'll generally have more seniority. The CA upgrade time at SWA and no payscale options make a huge difference in career earnings. You can always argue quality of life or any other reason to pick a lower paying job over a higher paying one, but I'm comparing nothing but pay here. Plus, anyone at SWA now can tell you what a fun place this has become over the last year... Mandatory unscheduled overnights into days off and true JA assignments are out of control, and corporate just told us to fly sick or we're not doing our part. So while I'm clearly talking about compensation here, it's worth noting that the QOL arguments are less and less relevant.

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where did he get offered 787 fo? I was up front with a United guy at 5 yrs and couldn't hold 787 anywhere