I know, its sad. I have never understood how "professionals" who are highly skilled to work in a relatively risky environment (compared to, say, sitting in a cube) can be so immature...
...This is coming from a SkyWest pilot.

I second Esaecker's statement. As one of the pilots on whom's back a skywest pilot is riding on, I don't understand how they would have a leg to stand on, nevertheless a middle finger or thumb to use.

When I first got on the line and started seeing that I was floored myself. Now - granted this sort of thing doesn't happen all the time, I've only seen it on very few occasions, and I haven't had a problem with blocked calls in a while either. I'm sure SkyWest is a great group of pilots, with the exception of a few bad apples which unfortunately all airlines have. Perhaps when we fly with someone who is a bit childish we can chastise them for it instead of laughing and egging them on.

From a former XJ'er, all I have to say is best of luck. I just rode ya'all from PHX to TUS, and it was a non-eventful flight. Pleasant staff, and professional from the time I checked in to the time I disembarked. FYI--I saw you just hired our old CEO Foley as your new COO. This may or may not have anything to do with your current situation, but then again I dont believe in fate. You will need to watch him like a hawk. Everything he touches, and I mean EVERYTHING, turns to sh^#! All you have to do is do a google search on him and what he has done-or lack thereof.

I saw him yesterday for the first time - and I should have gone over to say hello, but I was busy doing some other stuff at corporate. I've heard good and bad things about him. It's not like I can do anything about his presence whether I like it or not - so I'm just hoping for the best. Apparently, he IS doing a good job, and is making a big effort to turn things around. He's done the pilots quite a few favors already actually. Based on what I know of him so far, it may not be a bad thing he is here. Only time will tell though.

I'm amazed stuff like this actually happens... Unless you fly for gojet, nobody should be giving you the finger.... That's ridiculous...

Well if thats the case, then great. Hope it continues. All I have to go on is 7.5 years of him running mesaba, then MAIR the holding company. Maybe he's seen the light of what results when management works with labor groups.

Agreed. We shouldn't let the immature and unprofessional conduct of a few pilots divide the rest of us.

As ALPA pilots our choice is clear; either we find a way to work together or we will continue to freefall together in a race to the bottom.

Last October at the ALPA BOD meeting 15 MEC's on the Fee-For-Departure Committee met to formulate a strategy to combat many of the problems noted in this thread.

Fee-for-Departure-Carrier MEC Summit

Quote:

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October 19, 2008 - More than 120 pilots arrived in Las Vegas before the 42nd Board of Directors meeting began to participate in a summit hosted by ALPA’s fee-for-departure-carrier MECs on October 19. Status representatives, MEC officers, and other pilots from all 15 of these pilot groups, along with ALPA National officers and representatives from ALPA National committees and other pilot groups, met to continue their work coordinating their negotiating, contract enforcement, and support activities. This was the third meeting of the FFDC MECs in their ongoing effort to advance their goal of building career security and opportunities for their pilots.

“The FFDC MECs have shown the courage to lead their pilots by working together to find new ways to protect and enhance the careers of all airline pilots,” said ALPA President Capt. John Prater, who kicked off the meeting. “Their coordinated efforts continue to prove that when one pilot group has a solution, we all have a solution.”

Summit participants received presentations on the demographic trends among FFDC pilot groups and the economic outlook for the industry. Representatives from the contract survey and contract template working groups reported on the outcome of their work in these areas. Capt. Tom Wychor (MSA) facilitated the group’s discussions on the strategic plan, career protection coordination, and advancing the group’s mutual goals through continued collaboration, consultation and discussion among the FFDC MECs, the ALPA Collective Bargaining Committee (CBC), and representatives from other ALPA pilot groups. The FFDC MECs will continue their work and plan to meet again in 2009.

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I'm going to have to pinch myself to make sure this thread is real. Is this really a group of civilized pilots having a civil conversation? For the most part this discussion has been professional and well spoken, so somethings up.

I've always said that helping us at Mesa in our fight against a hostile management and supporting us as we try to exact change around here will reap far greater rewards for this industry than wishing for Mesa to go away and for hundreds of your fellow pilots to be without jobs. Luckily it's been proven to me time and time again that the Mesa-bashers that frequent this site and the attitudes that accompany them are part of a very small minority of pilots. The vast majority I have met throughout my travels have been sympathetic to Mesa pilots and the challenges we face in dealing with our company. I think I can speak for most Mesa pilots when I say thank you to those of you that understand what we as Mesa pilots are trying to do.

I have never seen or heard of a Mesa pilot flipping anyone off or denying a jumpseat based on carrier affiliation. This kind of behavior is childish and does nothing but make you look like an idiot. What if a passenger sees you? We already have a hard enough time trying to make the public aware of how underpaid and undervalued we are. Keep flipping people off from the cockpit and spreading that image of how a "professional airline pilot" acts. By doing so you singlehandedly are lowering public perceptions of pilots and undermining the very ground you claim to so passionately defend. Of course I'm speaking to the extreme minority here. For the rest of you who do act like professionals, thank you. We need all the help we can get.

No no, let me clarify.... I am a Mesa pilot - and I was flipped off by SkyWest once in ORD. It's never happened again though. We were pushing back into the alley from one of the Fox gates, and they were taxiing into the ramp. We were blocking their gate as we were starting so when we were head to head the captain flipped us off. I couldn't believe it. We just ignored him, went over to the east line and went on with our day.