but rather should have given the tester time to check the paperwork and get it straightened out. The airline contractor clearly asked for a specify person. I would counter the bluff. Delta has told its pilots it plans to have them all back to flying status by October to get ready for a return to more normal operations. Hospitals are even trying to force patients to get vaccinated. But I guess hindsight is 20/20, so. If he got "fired" 2 years ago and already depleted everything he got, what was his long-term plan to live 15-30 years or so with his 401K? Good luck to you Captain. There isn't a pilot's union that's worth a Damm at America Airlines. I guess not "clearly" but rather "probably" the testing company is at fault. Our pilots are safety conscious and customer oriented. How does it feel to be living under a dictatorship. The new conservative group letter helps American Airlines because if there's one thing that will burnish a company's reputation for diversity it's being attacked by opponents for trying to hard to achieve diversity. The union said there were several more weekends in July and August where there continued to be problems. Memegate was a first officer who was fired for posting an offensive meme to a pilot facebook group, redhategate was a pilot who was "canceled" from a social media firestorm because he posted a picture of himself in the cockpit with a MAGA hat. The fault lies with both parties. American Airlines sent out a defiant email to all of its U.S. employees, putting them on notice that if they do not get fully vaccinated against COVID by November 24, they will be FIRED on the spot. Their heads are thick as a brick. Now lets add this pilot judgement level with MCAS. This is a disastrous and sad story.No matter what kind of a settlement he gets it isnt going to compensate him for what they did to him . Isnt it possible he is partially to blame. First-year First Officer pay rate of $52.19/hr and third-year Captain pay rate of $99.40/hr, $10,000 Pilot Training Completion Bonus and more. Thats how bad things are at Smetican. So AA told FAA to take away his license and the FAA was wrong here. All airlines getting worse. Okay, so my father retired from UAL and the Navy. Either he is really victimizing himself or he took terrible financial decisions in his life. The rest of us have to suffer too. One of the topics that came up were recent cuts to some regional routes, including some market exits. The FAA revoked my Medical license and ordered me for a drug test out of my own pocket. He needed to keep a level head even though he was obviously affronted this demand. Were you there? January 2021 - FedEx hired 36 pilots in January. Pilot shortage forces American Airlines to cancel 303 flights over weekend: 3,000 MORE could be axed in July after pilots were fired at the start of pandemic and not enough have been rehired I've been on the receiving end of having my ATC license taken away for medical reasons because of the FAA's archaic and behind the times rules. April 2021 - Envoy Air Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL) operating nearly 180 aircraft on about 900 daily flights to more than 150 destinations. If a contractor came up looking for a pilot who wasnt on the flight, it might make sense to stick around and take some time to clarify, rather than just walking off and moving on with your day. Airline . And that's what scares me. Why would the captain not pick up the phone when something like this just happened? Reasons include: * Flying or attempting to fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They are tasked with assuring that American Airlines operation is reliable, not only for our pilots but most importantly for our passengers, Allied Pilots Association spokesman Dennis Tajer said. Quit. DeWitt Ingram, a 21-year American pilot, wants his life back. I have been accused of being over cautious. What kind of life he was living? {{((ctrl.offer == 'pcgpdf' || ctrl.offer == 'acpp') && 'Get Your FREE Download') || (!ctrl.compactForm && ctrl.newlead.program.buttonText || 'Request More Info')}}, Atlas, FedEx and UPS Hired a Combined 91 Pilots in January of 2021, FedEx to No Longer Require Pilots To Have a 4-Year Degree To Apply, and Hire 70 Pilots per Month, Sun Country and Avelo Airlines Dramatically Increase First Year Pay Amid Pilot Shortage, United Parks 100 Regional Jets Due to a Pilot Shortage, Cirium: 2022 Air Passenger Capacity to Reach 2015 Levels. January 2021 - FedEx reports it will hire 52 pilots a month until their staffing needs are met. Cancel Culture Community Attempts to Get American Airlines Pilot Fired. The pilot continues to fly and continues to use drugs. The employee sought to notify him to take a random drug test after a flight to Miami. This man was a faithful employee who got the boot right as he was getting ready for retirement. Look at Hostess Foods. They have no CBA with the FAA, government, Eulen or airport. November 8, 2021 - Major airlines are expected to hire more than 9,000 in 2022 according to FAPA.aero. I'm an FAA Airman too. Eulen did not respond to emails. Since the FAA unlawfully revoked his license, he may have a seperate claim against them for taking away his living w/o proof of any crime or policy violation. As a commercial truck driver I am subject to random drug and alcohol tests as well, so I understand the implications of refusal to test. Amtrak is wholly reliant on the government to survive. I don't want someone who makes bad decision flying me around. Spirit Airlines passenger indicted after alleged assault American Airlines went viral after responding to a Twitter user Saturday who complained about a pilot because he had a "Let's Go. Kyle Arnold. Receive the latest airlines news, delivered straight to your inbox. What is their say in the matter? This time they are targeting an American Airlines pilot who spoke out against a proposed diversity initiative in his local school district. So even if he got his job back he couldn't work without that license. But this is more than just a saying, for pilots. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. They claimed bankruptcy, just to screw all the retirees, and opened right back up. He spent all his money doesn't mean he's guilty. I've been exactly there. The pilot should have stuck around and confirmed the true name of the tested, and the testing company should not have jumped to conclusions and deemed it as a refusal to test. However, with a judge having now ruled on the case, it seems pretty clear that this is roughly what happened. The company has a strict vaccine mandate, requiring staff to get the shot or be terminated,. They have no CBA with the FAA, government, Eulen or airport. Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe. As a DOT has not truck driver I can tell you whatever presented with a drug test request the employee requesting the test is giving a form with a typewritten name of the testy and other information which is there to verify their ID if you didn't have the form or the pilot didn't stop to look at the form and say this is not me then it can create a gray area in the As a DOT has not truck driver I can tell you whatever presented with a drug test request the employee requesting the test is giving a form with a typewritten name of the testy and other information which is there to verify their ID if you didn't have the form or the pilot didn't stop to look at the form and say this is not me then it can create a gray area in the matter of the lawsuit the pilot should have stopped ask to see the form verified it wasn't him and then moved on would have saved him a whole lot of trouble. Sooo disappointed. Business owners in America R just GREEDY D-BAGS willing to ruin a life to save $! United's experience underscores that very few workers - usually fewer than 1% - are willing to quit or get fired . Walking off and being dismissive was not a practical decision. So the union's hands were tied. People can just about do what they want to another person. They dont just go to a gate and hope they get the right person. January 20, 2022 - UPS hired 23 pilots in January. I Still think a wolf can start her?!$%@. They do the job for pay and benefits . No regional airline gets pilots to a major airline faster. Its been a long dark hole in the ground prison - alone and told repeatedly to never tell anyone so as to protect me.. The airline, I suppose, could have simply suspended the pilot from flying and then investigated to determine whether the pilot bore zero fault or partial fault in not getting the situation cleared up in the moment. Sounds like typical AA management to meinept. This is one of those situations where you almost have to wonder if theres more to the story thats not known. The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered. AA should fired ALL upper Management's in turn, from CEO to the lowest supervisor who had to do with this injustice. Scares the CR** out of me. There are only 2 pilots ..9 sometimes 11 flight attendants. Atlas Air hired 32 pilots in January. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers. My brother and I grew up around aircraft our whole lives. Anyone in the transportation field needs to have random drug and alcohol testing. Be careful what you eat! I hope DeWitt gets every single penny he deserves. So AA told FAA to take away his license and the FAA was wrong here. During the COVID-19 pandemic, American Airlines received almost $7 billion in PPP loans from the federal government but still laid off 30,000 employees. Yesterday was a great day for your union, wrote Ed Sicher, president of the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American pilots, said in an Oct. 20 message to pilots. That is a lot of employees. The union for American Airlines pilots is calling on the company to fire the "management team members who control the American Airlines operation" after another summer when the carrier. Companies do this regularly. She didnt know his name and apparently thought he was somebody else. Mention of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.14 CFR part 142 programs provided by ATP Jet Simulation, Inc. He is a University of Washington graduate. Domestic leisure travel will return to pre-pandemic volumes this month, John Laughter, Deltas operations chief, said in a memo to flight-operations employees Monday. Worse yet AAL managers sanctioned it wholeheartedly and aggressively. In one, a judge dismissed the FAAs case. The grievance and the civil suit will establish whether there is liability for American and Eulen America, the ground services company that employed the woman who mistakenly notified him that he should be tested. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. My last name is frequently garbled, despite being pronounced exactly as written, and it takes only a few seconds to ask, "did you mean XYZ?" If that sounds like you, then youre Republic ready! Regional airline discouraged pilots from getting COVID vaccine because of increased passenger demand By Kris Van Cleave March 25, 2021 / 6:47 AM / CBS News American Airlines subsidiary. Employees will be required to submit proof of vaccination to Amtraks self-service portal. And for Mike Bolton, you botched the history of Hostess. Now as lawsuits go forward, they need to admit they made, not a mistake, a huge mistake, and pay the pilot accordingly. It seems, the "corporate world" acted not only too quickly, but also vindictively by having a government entity further the egregious error. My brother and I grew up around aircraft our whole lives. Guy Midkiff, a 62-year-old Southlake, TX resident, has come under fire for criticizing a . I was a certified DOC drug and alcohol testing instructor and have done thousands of test. He was combative with other crew, passengers and airline staff and ultimately failed the drug test and was fired by the airline. Starting in January 2022, they will be hiring 200 per month. How do you know he wasn't recently divorced, and lost everything? As a pilot he is well aware of the requirements of his license. The next day, Ingram awoke to several voice mail messages from American Airlines flight department, expressing their shock that he refused to take a drug and alcohol test, Mager wrote. Armored Bridges To Ukraine: Last Pieces For A Counter-Attack Coming Into Place, Leidos Approach To Armys Athena Recon Aircraft Stresses Integration Skills, Networking Experience, Analytic Objectivity, After Covid, The Global Commercial Aviation Fleet Starts To Grow Again, New Marine Corps Prototype Ship Signals Interesting Times For South China Sea. Okay, so my father retired from UAL and the Navy. It could have been a set up by another employee. Following a brief recess, the chief administrative law judge returned to the courtroom and rendered a decision from the bench granting the motion in its entirety, Sicher said. 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Pilots and flight attendants at Dallas-based Southwest Airlines have complained of similar issues. Yes they pronounce the wrong name or said it wrong I think he knew it and just wanted to say hey they said the name wrong I'm leaving I'm going home to the hotel. Caffeine and Sugar. These will be spread out across Uniteds hubs, with Newark seeing the largest rise in workforce. The companys more than 14,000 employees provide regional flight service to American Airlines under the American Eagle brand and livery and ground handling services for multiple airlines, including American. April 8, 2021 - Before the Covid pandemic hit, airlines were preparing for a wave of pilot retirements, which are federally mandated when pilots reach age 65. May 2021 - Horizon Air is accepting aspiring pilots into their Pilot Development Program. All info is printed on a form with labels to place on 2 specimen cups and a signature is required. Scares the CR** out of me. Stay connected with the latest travel, aviation, and credit card news. (Photo: Al Drago) O n a Friday-morning flight from Houston to Albuquerque, a Southwest Airlines pilot . His life finances have nothing to do with him being fired. Its rather unsettling there are so few comments like this one, which nails it 100%. Subsequently, Ingram met the notifier and told her his name was not David, and the two both walked up the jet bridge and into the terminal.. I hope that the pilot does get a good settlement though. So the arrogant pilot blew past the contractor and didn't try to resolve this because he didn't want to get caught after a night of drinking during his last layover. Walking off and being dismissive was not a practical decision. Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. I definitely agree. As an AA Pilot for 35 years, I hope DeWitt gets every single penny and then some. My brother had achieve his commercial pilot's license and when my father passed away, I had taken my portion of our inheritance to get both my son and I a private pilot's license. In fact, Envoy Airlines, one of American Airlines' wholly owned regional carriers, offers as much as $175,000 in bonusesalbeit with many fine-print clausesto attract and retain pilots. A company that fired a pilot for refusing to fly in marginal weather conditions, will now have to pay him almost $2 million in damages. Both the testing company and the airline need to pay an amount that they will learn and remember that if they are unjustly negligent with an employes well being that they will be the ones to ultimately pay. The following morning, Ingram awoke to several voicemails from American Airlines flight department, expressing shock that he refused to take a drug and alcohol test. The union for American Airlines pilots is calling on the company to fire the management team members who control the American Airlines operation after another summer when the carrier sometimes struggled with delays and cancellations. My FAA incident was long before I went there. Southwest Airlines pilots perform a check in a 737 aircraft before a flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Washington. At American Airlines, for example, more than 7,200 of the airlines more than 15,000 pilots are set to turn 65 over the next decade. At least that seems like a good way to cover your rear. The dude probably makes +300K USD (Capitan easily +500K USD), so at least 5x what i make. But then you probably believe everything on the internet is true and super PAC ads are news. American declined to comment. This decision is a significant step to position Delta for the network recovery and supports projected customer demand.. I bet he answers to 'David' when the barista has his latte ready. The two companies had sought a dismissal. Then againlong trip and someone is asking for someone else, you are in go-home mode. Ingram began flying for American predecessor MetroJet, a US Airways offshoot, in 1999. Focus on the story. Delta CEO Ed . The contract worker performing the test had allegedly marked him as having refused to take the test. Southwest is not the only carrier hiring pilots in 2021, but it is further evidence of the ongoing recovery in the American aviation industry. July 2021 - Southwest Airlines is coming back, and the airline is focused on having the staffing it needs in a post-crisis world. Sounds a little too fishy on (THAT) part. Answer (1 of 6): My airline is unionized with ALPA There are procedures for termination of employment. If you are not the person they are asking for & notified them as so, then continued on your way. This man has not been treated fairly by a company he worked for 32 years. Nothing about this was the pilots fault. Exhausted his 401K and sold cars and shares to survive ? Whether AA crew members have the "right" to ask for the paperwork, I don't know, but if there wasn't even a full name given - which might have reduced the chance of confusion in a poor pronunciation - then it is hard to argue that the pilot was at fault. Pilot Retention Bonus Program, up to $150,000. He could have asked the Contractor for the full name on the requisition for the drug test. Now Its Back, Replacing Russian Losses In Ukraine. The Allied Pilots Association says about 30% of American's 14,000 pilots have not gotten shots and warns that mass terminations of unvaccinated pilots could lead to a severe shortage of. This program is in addition to the $15,000 signing bonus Envoy is offering new pilots today and will make it even more attractive for candidates who want to join the Envoy team. Endeavor pilots are leading the way with the best hourly pilot pay and enjoy a family-like culture where your team supports you every step of the way. This program is designed to reward pilots for their efforts and incentivize all pilots to continue their careers at Envoy or begin a new chapter at American Airlines. Then the Federal Aviation Administration revoked his pilot license. Delta Air Lines, Inc (NYSE: DAL) pilots approved a new deal that provides a 34% pay boost over a four-year agreement, setting a potential example as other U.S. carriers and their pilots' unions . Pilots are routinely administered random drug and alcohol tests. The airline intends to open the pilot application window soon with the aim of re-starting hiring that was frozen during the pandemic by July, provided passenger demand recovers, the spokeswoman said, confirming a report from sources. Exactly, I find it highly unusual that he did not stop to confirm via employee I.D that it was not him . Legal fees alone would eat every penny I have saved over a lifetime given the ample pockets of the testing company and AA. JetBlue pilots inspire teamwork and take pride in making values-based decisions in the air and on the ground. The procedure is flawed if the paperwork isn't presented initially. Some really great made up time, money and more. Lets see, no products available for Christmas, no transportation available for Christmas, no medical doctors or nurses available, food shortages, huge inflation, dictatorial leadership, massive gun sales. As of the last month and a half, certainly we at American have been flying as good of an airline and as good as an on-time performance completion factor as weve ever had, Parker said during a video interview with The Washington Post. Don't expect all of your pilots, flight attendants, or airport workers to be vaccinated this holiday travel season despite Biden's vaccine mandates. I would be willing to AA and the drug testing company botched the entire testing procedure. The pilot has blasted the curriculum online, and the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition which supports it. Running out of money when retirement is 2 years away, as a pilot means you made some bad decisions. There is no mistaking the patient. 1981, when President Reagan fired over 11,000 air traffic controllers for participating in a strike in violation of a return-to-work order. March 2, 2021 - In North America, a shortage of 12,000 commercial pilots is expected by 2023, driven by mandatory and COVID-related retirements. I received a warning for this incident, even though I was clearly not on opiods! Print. November 2021 - American Airlines: Were Staffing Up for the Holidays. I am not surprised this happened. Admittedly alcohol might have been out of his system at that point, but we have no reason to believe that was an issue, since the test was random (and not due to any suspicion). March 2021 - Air Wisconsin has updated their open positions to include First Officers. Pilots (and even more so Capitan of a legacy airline) are some of the most well compensated professions in the planet, especially in America. They are subject (rightly, as Ben points out) to absolute oversight for drug testing their pilots and the consequences of not doing so would be severe for the company. An identity document with photo should also be used in an important case like the one described here. After 40 years working no savings or anything ? October 2021 - Southwest Pilot application window will Open Oct 1-10! Very worrying to think that people don't realize the financial implications of their late years. They, in turn, went to American Airlines claiming their employee is harassing them and sought to cancel him. Sly Oliver, who had worked as a ramp agent for 15 . Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies. No where on the FAA whistle blowing website does it say, "If you give faults information that you could be punishable" As several U.S. airlines announcerequirements for all employees to be vaccinated, Amtrak has announced a similar policy. Is it true that in the USA, pilots have only a first name and no surname. An airline pilot that burned thru an alleged 401k in 2 yrs & had to sell off stock & autos to "survive"? April 2021 - American Airlines plans to resume hiring pilots this fall, the carrier told aviators on Tuesday, as a rebound in demand prompts airlines to rethinking their future staffing. Unfortunately this incident has completely changed his life. Well a PhD like you should know, the problem lies at who determines what is considered "drugs". How about asking for the last name or employee number? I had to explain that these Bagels contain poppy seeds. New book: Kenny Riley & Black Union Labor Power in Port of Charleston. The airline says the. I would not have just kept walking. Delta Air Lines is flying a different route. Starting today, July 28, 2021, Envoy now offers new hire pilots a $15,000 sign-on bonus, paid out over the first year.