AirTran pilots. Was Mad Dog a scab?

[Bobby Orr 4]

Lots of volleying around the issue on the swapa forum. Can anyone confirm that Mike was a former Eastern pilot that crossed the picket line?
Thanks.

 

[funnyman12]

Yes he was

 

[Candide]

Let's please use the correct tense of the verb. He "is" a scab.

Nothing changes one's scab status. Not retirement. Not regret. And certainly not harmonica playing.

 

[Bobby Orr 4]

Let's please use the correct tense of the verb. He "is" a scab.

Nothing changes one's scab status. Not retirement. Not regret. And certainly not harmonica playing.

Sorry. My bad. I agree

 

[funnyman12]

Very true...IS

 

[livin'thesim]

Is that the toolbag with the PA harmonica s--t and the horrible celebrity impersonations?

Had I known his status, I would would have flipped him the bird when I got off his flight.

And no, I was not jumpseating, but was a fare-paying passenger.

 

[Mercyful Fate]

Oh somebody has to post a pic of this guy...

 

[mc717]

Is that the toolbag with the PA harmonica s--t and the horrible celebrity impersonations?

Had I known his status, I would would have flipped him the bird when I got off his flight.

And no, I was not jumpseating, but was a fare-paying passenger.

There is another captain with a New York type accent who does harmonica performances and celebrity impersonations (Arnold and Elvis are two that come to mind). I don't think he was a scab - a freight dog background if I remember correctly.

 

[tankerhead]

There is another captain with a New York type accent who does harmonica performances and celebrity impersonations (Arnold and Elvis are two that come to mind). I don't think he was a scab - a freight dog background if I remember correctly.

Yes, this guy:

The other harmonica player ain't a whole lot better, although he did make me laugh when he tried to arrange a threesome with the two twenty-something FA's and completely ignored the gal that was his age and might have actually boned him. All on the van ride.

Face-palm.

He plays the same "bad to the bone" crap that MD did and even repeatedly uses the term "whisper jet" in his intro.

Like some kind of a godawful copycat understudy. Gag.

 

[j41driver]

They're both jack offs, especially when they play that damn thing for the 0600 departures.

 

[skypine69]

jeez...you guys have more than one capt who plays the harmonica at 6am? F that.

 

[redflyer65]

This should have been enough to sink the whole deal. We can all get together and send Gary a gold (plated) harmonica.

 

[bafanguy]

jeez...you guys have more than one capt who plays the harmonica at 6am? F that.

Well, make it three confirmed harmonica sightings, so far. Flew FO for a guy many years ago who played one occasionally in the cockpit as the pax boarded.

Not the end of the world, I guess, but not the best thing in the world either. Made me vaguely uncomfortable, as I recall.

There is a certain show biz aspect to this airline pilot stuff because the public suffers from the perception-IS-reality syndrome (It's why things like crew personal appearance do matter). The public doesn't have to be right because they have the credit cards.

They didn't know that my Harmonicat leader ( http://www.harmonicats.com/Home.html ) was a terrific pilot who was going to take great care of them. They just saw the "pilot" was goofing around in the cockpit...playing the harmonica. Some people smiled, some didn't.

I guess people could do worse things.

 

[livin'thesim]

At 0600???

I think someone should grab it right out of his hands and stuff up his a--, so that he had to walk through the terminal farting in the key of B for the rest of the trip.

 

[redflyer65]

It might have been a B flat after that breakfast burrito.

 

[flythere]

Is that the toolbag with the PA harmonica s--t and the horrible celebrity impersonations?

Had I known his status, I would would have flipped him the bird when I got off his flight.

And no, I was not jumpseating, but was a fare-paying passenger.

Why wouldn't you have the ba!!s to do it to his face when you walked onto his airplane??

 

[PCL_128]

For a bunch of guys that come from an airline where they celebrate unprofessional nonsense like FAs rapping the safety announcement over the PA, you're awfully judgmental about some harmonica playing.

 

[livin'thesim]

Why wouldn't you have the ba!!s to do it to his face when you walked onto his airplane??

Because, Toolbag II, I wouldn't have know it until after hearing his fruitcake symphony over the PA.

Don't try to project your insecurities on me, kiddo.

 

[livin'thesim]

You're right, PCL.

The only thing I can imagine would diminish the profession more would be a harmonica-playing PFTer in a 1900. Of course, you'd probably need a trumpet to be heard over the drone of the props.

And doing an impersonation of a real paid-ones-dues line pilot.

 

[Nindiri]

Because, Toolbag II, I wouldn't have know it until after hearing his fruitcake symphony over the PA.

Don't try to project your insecurities on me, kiddo.

How would hearing his harp playing over the PA let you know about his history?

 

[livin'thesim]

How would hearing his harp playing over the PA let you know about his history?

You're not paying attention. Reread

 

[dollacrackho]

If you're an ffdo and some pud ca starts playing his mouth harp at 6am what do you do?
I haven't been through the course but this at least warrants a pistol whipping right??

 

[tankerhead]

some pud ca starts playing his mouth harp at 6am what do you do?

Join in with the skin flute.

 

[DieselDragRacer]

Join in with the skin flute.

So the crew is SFO based?

 

[Tripower455]

For a bunch of guys that come from an airline where they celebrate unprofessional nonsense like FAs rapping the safety announcement over the PA, you're awfully judgmental about some harmonica playing.

The harmonica playing, while certainly annoying and in poor taste, is not the crux of the issue we have with ole Maddog...

 

[Sparse]

Let's please use the correct tense of the verb. He "is" a scab.

Nothing changes one's scab status. Not retirement. Not regret. And certainly not harmonica playing.

I don't have a dog in this fight but I knew several Eastern pilots in my reserve unit. There were two types that crossed then picket line. Those that were hired by Eastern, worked for Eastern, went on strike, walked a picket line, and then were told by national ALPA that the strike was over and to go back to work. The Eastern MEC disagreed with Nat. ALPA and called for Eastern pilots to continue withholding their services. Some stayed out and others went back.
The second group were purely opportunist and crossed picket lines, having never worked for Eastern. Now that's a Scab. Call the others what you want but the first group is debatable.

Just google Eastern scab list and you will find a master scab list for all airlines.

This may be a resource for you.

 

[PCL_128]

The harmonica playing, while certainly annoying and in poor taste, is not the crux of the issue we have with ole Maddog...

I understand that, and I've got no disagreement with you on that issue. But the people making an issue of the harmonica playing should really look at the log in their own airline's eye instead of looking at the speck in AirTran's. Rapping flight attendants, "cabin games," and other such nonsense is equally as bad, if not worse, than a harmonica playing pilot.

 

[redflyer65]

PCL,

Just to be clear, I make no judgements about him being an AirTran guy. Just what he did before working there. I think most other SW guys feel the same and are just disappointed that the company would highlight him over others, both SW and/or AAI.

 

[waveflyer]

I don't have a dog in this fight but I knew several Eastern pilots in my reserve unit. There were two types that crossed then picket line. Those that were hired by Eastern, worked for Eastern, went on strike, walked a picket line, and then were told by national ALPA that the strike was over and to go back to work. The Eastern MEC disagreed with Nat. ALPA and called for Eastern pilots to continue withholding their services. Some stayed out and others went back.
The second group were purely opportunist and crossed picket lines, having never worked for Eastern. Now that's a Scab. Call the others what you want but the first group is debatable.

Just google Eastern scab list and you will find a master scab list for all airlines.

This may be a resource for you.

So which was "mad dog"?

And....

I still have a lot of questions about that first scenario

 

[PCL_128]

I still have a lot of questions about that first scenario

You should. They all exaggerate it to make themselves sound better. The reality is that neither ALPA National nor the EAL MEC told the pilots to return to work. Jack Bavis, the EAL MEC Chairman, stated that in his opinion, the pilots should go back to work. But he was referring to ending the strike, not to pilots crossing a lawful picket line. It was just his opinion that the strike was a failure, and continuing it would yield no better results. Those pilots who crossed the line just used Bavis's statement as an excuse to justify their crossing.