Should I pour a footing and pier at the same time?
I am a site coordinator for a tower construction company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. I am currently working on a project where we pour pad and pier together (because it is fairly easy and is required by our engineering department). If you get your concrete appropriately thick (3 slump?), it should stack up into your Sonotube pier without blowing out. 

You still want your rebar or reinforcement mesh to extend to within a few inches of the top and bottom. You should also vibrate and rod the concrete through the Sonotube and into the footing (but try not to rod all the way through to the ground).

If you strip the Sonotube when the concrete is still green (after a couple of hours), you can rub it to a nice finish with a block of wood, a stone float or even your hand. Rubbed concrete looks professional and is an easy application, if timed appropriately.