I was avoiding posting anything specifically against your diatribe, although it more than warranted the responses it has received, but when confronted my principles dictate a response:
In any sensible debate where a person is accused of falseties, the person making the accusal must submit proof of their allegations. Every single event I posted DID happen and I have the proof in writing, including:
My letter from the company requiring me as well as all other non-Dallas residents to move to Dallas in October of 1999 and my subsequent letters showing them how much money I saved the company by living in Nashville since 90% of my commutes were American Airlines Airpass to either JFK for TEB launches or to FLL or PBI and Nashville was, at the time, an American hub, as well as the company's letters back saying, "Too bad, it's the new policy". It would be nearly two years before outstation basing became a possibility again, and then only at specific "Gateways", which was well after I had moved on.
The FACT that when American Airlines sold their share of Flexjet (at the time BJS) back to Bombardier, we lost our ability to jumpseat on Southwest which was how I was going home on the off days, as well as losing our abilities to obtain discounts on hotels, rental cars, cruises, and other amenities that having an airline affiliation and I.D. provided, as well as the ability to use American Airlines facilities such as their Credit Union which had DRASTICALLY better interest rates than Community Credit Union. I call those benefits lost, wouldn't you?
My letter from the company disallowing the use of the American Airlines First Class lounges in uniform, even though many of us were American Airlines Advantage Gold or Platinum from our travels. A benefit I GREATLY enjoyed when having to wait at the airport for 3 or 4 hours after a rotation to go home. Benefit lost.
My letter from the company taking away my vacation twice for operational need before that ability was ever in any of the Company's Policies and Procedures Manual and later the FOM. Benefit lost.
The company's taking away the $1,000 a day pay for Captains to pick up trips on their days off in December of 1999 and January of 2000 and deciding to use chartered aircraft if they couldn't get enough Captains to pick up trips, even though it cost them more money to do so, because "They didn't want to set a precedent for that kind of pilot pay". Benefit lost. By the way, I have copies of my pay stubs that reflect those pay periods to post as well.
The proven FACT that during my tenure with the company, movement between fleets, in my case, a change from the 31 fleet to the 60 fleet I had requested, was always whomever the fleet managers happened to like, not on seniority.
The copies of my bid sheets and the results of the bid awards for monthly schedules between January and March of 2000 when the bid system first came to fruition by the hard work of two line pilots. Ask Rick Handschuch if he remembers the incident in March of 2000 where I was awarded one line then after making arrangements for my 10 year high school reunion (including non-refundable full-fare airline tickets and hotel accomodations) that line was taken away from me and given to a more junior pilot. He refused to have it changed back and told me, "If you don't like it, find somewhere else to work". I did so the next month.
Many of the above policies may be different now, but were you even THERE in '99 and Y2K? I'll be happy to scan the documents I mentioned above and post them to my website. I came to Flexjet from a decent Part 135 Lear charter department when Flexjet was a fantastic place to be. After all of the above happened, it had become nearly identical to the Part 135 company I left, so I moved on to something better. If the company hadn't changed for the worse, I'd more than likely be happily working their still, as would many friends I made there who also left; Flexjet is still better than many of the not-so-friendly Part 135 jobs out there, but it pales in comparison to the Quality Of Life provided at EJA.
Now. Where is YOUR proof, sir, that the above statements are lies?
Incidentally, the mass exodus of Captains that came in the spring and summer of 2000 was so bad that Karen Parr started using "Exit Interviews" that had to be completed with her before receiving your last paycheck. They wanted to know WHY such a large number of Captains were making what appeared to be lateral moves out of the program. Call her up and ask if you either don't remember or weren't there during that period, she and I have spoken often, even since I left, and she knows me by name well.
Care to post your name and number for calling me a liar? Here's mine:
Richard Murphy - LR 31a (don't remember my employee number, should be easy enough to find).
Flexjet Date of Hire: July 11, 1999, hired by Jon Walegir
Flexjet Date of Upgrade: December 21, 1999
Flexjet Date of Resignation: July 4, 2000
Current phone number: 615-210-5046
Your turn to reveal your identity... or will you be too much of a coward? Slinging mud and stirring the pot from behind the veil of anonymity is easy...
p.s. I love a spirited debate as well, but calling someone a liar goes beyond the debate niceties of good taste, especially when you don't know who they are or their situation enough to make such an accusation. Other than that, let the debate roll!
Not my words - his. But he got better pay and the lear at Flexjet.
