I love this story so much I am copying it from anotherForum for your viewing pleasure

[inthegoo]

Ya know I have a funny story about a captain who was in a interesting predicament one snowy night in ORD,

It was going to be the last leg of a long day that had streched itself from a scheduled 13 hr duty day, right up to the limit of 16 hrs,

it was day 3 of 4 and he was tired after all that days challenges,

the nasty UAL gate agent ran down and said "we need to board now, dispatch just called and said if we dont have the door closed by 35 after then you will be illegal",

the next morning is one leg back to ORD and then he is done for several days,

out of curiousity and just in case they cancel the captain calls AA on his cell and they say that there is a delayed flight leaving for his home city in 90 minutes with tons of seats.

the agent hands the paperwork to the FO with 5 minutes to spare, the flight is a full boat to somewhere, and the lav is MEL'd

just then the captain passes some pretty rank gas, and the FO says, "hey man that stinks! do you need to go take a dump?"

the captain ponders this question for a moment and says, "why yes, I do need to go take a dump" he grabs his USA today and heads up the jetway,

about 30 minutes later he comes back to the gate, pushes his way through 66 pissed off pax, goes down to an empty and dark RJ, his bag is in the hole, he takes his stuff and heads for AA,

DONT U JUST LOVE HAPPY ENDINGS!

 

[labbats]

Not if I was commuting home on that flight.

 

[COOPERVANE]

Not if I was commuting home on that flight.

Oh really? would you kick his a$$ and make him leave on time?

 

[JustaNumber]

Not if I was commuting home on that flight.

You would want to be on that flight in that weather after his 16 hour day? Not me. Those passengers should have thanked him.

 

[labbats]

If he had the stones to call in fatigued I would have been fine with it. Seems he danced around the issue and I don't respect that. I've called in fatigued many times, but never left a planeload of passengers to find out their predicament from the gate agent while I was roaming the terminal.

 

[JustaNumber]

If he had the stones to call in fatigued I would have been fine with it. Seems he danced around the issue and I don't respect that. I've called in fatigued many times, but never left a planeload of passengers to find out their predicament from the gate agent while I was roaming the terminal.

Unfortunately, the airlines tell you they are interested in safety, yet financially encourage flying fatigued. If the above pilot had used the fatigue call, he would have lost pay for that leg, and if he worked at ASA he would also have had his minimum monthly guarantee adjusted for not being available for a trip. By letting the FAR's stop him from flying the trip, the passengers end up in the exact same situation, but he now gets cancellation pay. Seems to me his airline encouraged him to do what he did.

 

[Abernathy]

word.

 

[GINCHBLASTER]

Sounds like a fake story.

 

[XPOO]

This totally sounds like something inthegoo would do. Heck, it probably was him. One of those, "Suppose I have a friend who..." stories.

 

[homerjdispatch]

We all know about J.I., right XP? Real team player there!

 

[paddlehigh]

Who works 16 hour duty days these days

 

[Metro752]

PSA Pylotz, cheapest pilot labor in the USAirways system.

 

[Abernathy]

Who works 16 hour duty days these days

is that a joke.. i timed out last week. happens on a daily basis at any regional.

 

[WalterSobchak]

If he had the stones to call in fatigued I would have been fine with it. Seems he danced around the issue and I don't respect that.

THIS.

Personally, I can respect a guy that calls me and tells me he's tired (even if there is an underlying motive like commuting home 12 hours early...I don't need to know that). What I have a hard time respecting, however, is someone who blatantly dilly-dallys around, even allowing boarding, in attempt to time out instead of having the cajones to make the call.

Sorry, I find zero humour in this little story.

 

[JustaNumber]

Walter,
What do you think of my point in post #6? That the company would financially punish him if he called out fatigued, but not if the FAR's cancelled the flight?

 

[COOPERVANE]

Walter,
What do you think of my point in post #6? That the company would financially punish him if he called out fatigued, but not if the FAR's cancelled the flight?

Wont care...you are just numbers on his computer screen. Gotta make that completion factor at any cost.

 

[WalterSobchak]

Wont care...you are just numbers on his computer screen. Gotta make that completion factor at any cost.

I'm glad COOPERVANE is here to answer my questions for me. Gee, it's like you know me so well...

Walter,
What do you think of my point in post #6? That the company would financially punish him if he called out fatigued, but not if the FAR's cancelled the flight?

I think it's a crap sandwich. I'm not sure what the fix is, because you and I both know that it would become a fatigued call free-for-all if there were some kind of compensation for it. That said, it's crap that you have to make that choice. I don't have the answers on this one, though I hope pilots as a whole find an answer to it...I'm just saying that I, personally, in my position can respect a professional that makes the call instead of playing games with passengers just to force a cancel.

 

[JustaNumber]

I think it's a crap sandwich. I'm not sure what the fix is, because you and I both know that it would become a fatigued call free-for-all if there were some kind of compensation for it. That said, it's crap that you have to make that choice. I don't have the answers on this one, though I hope pilots as a whole find an answer to it...I'm just saying that I, personally, in my position can respect a professional that makes the call instead of playing games with passengers just to force a cancel.

Agreed, it should never have come down to playing games with passengers. The solution is simple: rational duty limits and rest rules, mandated by the FAA. There should never be a 15 or 16 hour day for pilots, I don't care how much the pilot or the company wants the hours. Make it a 12 hour day max, and no one has to make the choice.

 

[TheInsider]

Ya know I have a funny story about a captain who was in a interesting predicament one snowy night in ORD,

It was going to be the last leg of a long day that had streched itself from a scheduled 13 hr duty day, right up to the limit of 16 hrs,

it was day 3 of 4 and he was tired after all that days challenges,

the nasty UAL gate agent ran down and said "we need to board now, dispatch just called and said if we dont have the door closed by 35 after then you will be illegal",

the next morning is one leg back to ORD and then he is done for several days,

out of curiousity and just in case they cancel the captain calls AA on his cell and they say that there is a delayed flight leaving for his home city in 90 minutes with tons of seats.

the agent hands the paperwork to the FO with 5 minutes to spare, the flight is a full boat to somewhere, and the lav is MEL'd

just then the captain passes some pretty rank gas, and the FO says, "hey man that stinks! do you need to go take a dump?"

the captain ponders this question for a moment and says, "why yes, I do need to go take a dump" he grabs his USA today and heads up the jetway,

about 30 minutes later he comes back to the gate, pushes his way through 66 pissed off pax, goes down to an empty and dark RJ, his bag is in the hole, he takes his stuff and heads for AA,

DONT U JUST LOVE HAPPY ENDINGS!

Is this funny?

 

[IamGumbyDammit]

In a juvenile sense, I guess it might be.

 

[cynic]

That was the most unfunny post I have read. I found no pleasure in reading it.

For those that reach the same conclusion watch this and it will make you feel better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0-rCjhxrUs

 

[Skywest Pylot]

We all know about J.I., right XP? Real team player there!

Jason always calls it how he sees it while the rest of you guys climb under Jerry's desk. You may not always agree with him but you gotta respect the guy.

 

[Socalplt]

Jason always calls it how he sees it while the rest of you guys climb under Jerry's desk. You may not always agree with him but you gotta respect the guy.

Bull********************, the guys a piece of ********************. ********************ed over 66 passengers. And he's had a reputation for being unproffessional since newhire class. I can't even understand why he works in the industry he hates so much.

Good thing for him I have no management aspirations, I'd make it my mission to get rid of him - and I'm not even pro-company.

 

[PCL_128]

Who works 16 hour duty days these days

Guys that don't have the backbone to call in fatigued, because there's no way in hell that you're not fatigued after 16 hours of duty.

 

[BrownStreak]

Bull********************, the guys a piece of ********************. ********************ed over 66 passengers. And he's had a reputation for being unproffessional since newhire class. I can't even understand why he works in the industry he hates so much.

Good thing for him I have no management aspirations, I'd make it my mission to get rid of him - and I'm not even pro-company.

Ooooh, scary! I'll bet you're one of those cheese d!cks that writes stuff about people next to the urinals!

I'm gonna have to agree though, man up and call fatigued instead of wasting everyone else's time going through the motions for naught...all the while p!ssing the passengers off worse than if it was just cancelled period. Of course, that's easy for me to sit here and say when I'm not at the tail end of a 16 hour day....oh wait I am at the end of a 15+ hour day. Well rested Brownstreak is a lot nicer than fatigued Brownstreak. Yes, I know, I just referred to myself in my internet screen name third person. All I can say to defend myself for that is I'm so tired I can't see straight.

 

[WalterSobchak]

Yes, I know, I just referred to myself in my internet screen name third person.

And, for that, you are my new hero. :beer:

 

[homerjdispatch]

Bull********************, the guys a piece of ********************. ********************ed over 66 passengers. And he's had a reputation for being unproffessional since newhire class. I can't even understand why he works in the industry he hates so much.

Good thing for him I have no management aspirations, I'd make it my mission to get rid of him - and I'm not even pro-company.

Glad I am not the only one that feels this way about him!!!

 

[viper548]

Was this the candlewood crapper?

 

[inthegoo]

Was this the candlewood crapper?

nah, I believe he got caught and they fired him


P.S. hey homer, do u ever answer the phones? cause I have never gotten anything but the nicest folks on the other end of the line,

or do u just talk sh-t around here?

 

[inthegoo]

under Jerry's desk.

funny stuff