"Nothing but Gray Skies" article.. good read until the end.

[canyonblue737]

I am glad SWAPA was quick to get on this... while I believe that in this case it simply wasn't said and isn't true I can tell you now... the very notion expressed by the so called "statement" is abhorrent and contrary to view of ANY SWA pilot I know.

 

[skykid]

This just reinforces my already low opinion of the new york times. If there is a more biased and inaccurate news source out there, I haven't seen it. I didn't need the letter from SWAPA to know he obviousy didn't say that. I would sooner buy one of those tabloid rags than the ny times.

 

[koko nw]

Very Nice. Quick and to the point. Kudo's to Capt.Joseph "Ike" Eichelkraut President, SWAPA.

Maybe Old Duane can learn a thing or two.....I'm not holding my breath.

Koko NW

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

deleted

 

[canyonblue]

I'm no SWAPA fan.........

I believe you have never been a SWAPA member so how can you even make a statement like that.

 

[USNFDX]

I believe you have never been a SWAPA member so how can you even make a statement like that.

Very easily...Like I'm no Yankees fan, or I'm no Alpa fan or I'm no UAW fan or I'm no Republican fan.

You're getting to be worse than SWA/FO....Did you borrow his chip?

By the way, I am a SWAPA fan, and I never been a member.

 

[Tripower455]

Like I said SWA shootbird motherFrickers...don't bother getting on my jumpseat. You're mentality at the top says it all

Ahhh, so, now I should deny jumpseat to any guys that fly 747's because I disagree with your views?

How about NOT using the friggin jumpseat for political statements or to sate your own personal retaliatory needs. Because ONE guy (who doesn't even commute) might have said something, the rest of the SWA guys are now gonna suffer? Even if he did say it, what purpose will it serve to punish someone else?

It's bad enough commuting offline (I did it for 9 years BEFORE all the post 9/11 nonsense), dealing with the tsA, gate agents and other JSers, why make it any harder for those guys?

Gimme a break. I know this is hard for a lot of you, but show some class and professionalism, and don't punish the guys who are trying to get to work or home, based on the alledged commentary from, of all things, the NYT......

 

[Flyerjosh]

Ahhh, so, now I should deny jumpseat to any guys that fly 747's because I disagree with your views?

How about NOT using the friggin jumpseat for political statements or to sate your own personal retaliatory needs. Because ONE guy (who doesn't even commute) might have said something, the rest of the SWA guys are now gonna suffer? Even if he did say it, what purpose will it serve to punish someone else?

It's bad enough commuting offline (I did it for 9 years BEFORE all the post 9/11 nonsense), dealing with the tsA, gate agents and other JSers, why make it any harder for those guys?

Gimme a break. I know this is hard for a lot of you, but show some class and professionalism, and don't punish the guys who are trying to get to work or home, based on the alledged commentary from, of all things, the NYT......

Nicely said. The jumpseat is a resource for us pilots. Idiots that want to use it as a tool as retribution, seriously need to rethink their reasons for doing so. Management would like nothing more than see all jumpseating disappear... and we are definately our own worst enemy on this issue.

I remember a UAL captain that pulled out a blacklist then was dead set on banning me from his jumpseat because my name was apparently on that list. He got all irate, and demanded that I get off his plane. I asked why, and he replied "You know why. You're on my scab list".

Cooler heads finally prevailed when I looked at him and said something to the affect of, "Ummm... hate to break it to you, but I was about eight years old when United last went on strike."

 

[Jeff Hefner]

Gray Skies, etc.

I tried to post earlier and it disappeared into cyberspace so if it eventually shows up please forgive the two posts. This thread and forum was passed on to me this morning and I decided to join so I could personally address the controversy.

I am the much maligned and detested Jeff Hefner that is the topic of this thread. Let me say first and categorically that this "interview" never took place and the "quotes" attributed to me are not factual and are fabricated. I have never spoken with this individual nor any other reporter about this topic and the quotes are not my views. Now how this happened is anybody's guess but I think from the conversations that the SWAPA President has had with this reporter might shed some light on it.

I am the current SWAPA Air Safety Committee Chair and the Go-Team Chief Investigator. The events of 8 Dec. 2005 at MDW have unfortunately somewhat heightened my visibility in the national aviation community. In January I authored and released a SWAPA Air Safety Alert which dealt with winter operations and some programming issues that involved our on-board performance computer. This Alert was distributed to our pilot group and a copy of it found its way into the hands of this reporter. Our staff here at SWAPA has a record of this guy attempting to contact me after the alert was released but he was not put through. I don't do interviews nor am I the public face of our union. When confronted with my denial yesterday by our union president the reporter began some creative story changing and now has no recollection of when he actually might have spoken to me. Fact is he never has, and never will.

For those of you that gave us the benefit of the doubt until the facts could be determined, thanks! For those of you that did not, well, think about your initial reaction. Try not to use the jumpseat as a weapon, we are all much better than that

Jeff Hefner
SWAPA Air Safety

 

[FearlessFreep]

Deleted Original Post -

My opinions of this might be a bit strong for the delicate sensibilities for those involved in this imbroglio.

This action is no way in regard to the rhetoric posted by a possible (we don't really know for sure) Mr. Hefner: "For those of you that did not, well, think about your initial reaction". This statement is the height of impropriety. It is not the place of anyone who is proporting themselves as a representative of WN to chastize anyone HERE for their opinion prior to or after "the facts can be determined".

This is a somewhat public forum and as such should not be "policed" by outside entities.

There is so many different implications in this whole quagmire - it is just so powerfully entertaining!

 

[CaptSeth]

What this reporter did was nothing short of scandalous. I say sue.

 

[FN FAL]

Here's the copy and paste:

"They're a bunch of spoiled brats," he said. "Historically, this has been a really cushy job once you get to the majors. You make a lot of money, and you don't have to fly a lot. But there had to be a market balancing at some point."

I can understand the "teeter totter" analogy, but why do they have to penalize the "fat kid"? Balance can be achieved by paying Caravan and Beech 99 guys 150K to 200K a year. If the guys in the middle can't look at both ends of the teeter totter and figure out what's going on, we could harvest their organs and use the rest for mineral recyling.

 

[Eagleflip]

Jeff, well spoken and to the point. I encourage SWAPA to take strong action against the Times in this matter. A half column inch retraction on page 2 is likely all you'll get, unfortunately.

To all of us, however, this event serves as a graphic reminder that we must get both sides of the story before drawing a conclusion. All too often we simply make a decision based on inaccurate or misrepresented information. While entertaining, we needlessly energized the "jumpseat denial " issue.

As a previous poster stated, sometimes, indeed, we are our own worst enemy. And there's always another side to the story...

 

[hammer2]

I tried to post earlier and it disappeared into cyberspace so if it eventually shows up please forgive the two posts. This thread and forum was passed on to me this morning and I decided to join so I could personally address the controversy.

I am the much maligned and detested Jeff Hefner that is the topic of this thread. Let me say first and categorically that this "interview" never took place and the "quotes" attributed to me are not factual and are fabricated. I have never spoken with this individual nor any other reporter about this topic and the quotes are not my views. Now how this happened is anybody's guess but I think from the conversations that the SWAPA President has had with this reporter might shed some light on it.

I am the current SWAPA Air Safety Committee Chair and the Go-Team Chief Investigator. The events of 8 Dec. 2005 at MDW have unfortunately somewhat heightened my visibility in the national aviation community. In January I authored and released a SWAPA Air Safety Alert which dealt with winter operations and some programming issues that involved our on-board performance computer. This Alert was distributed to our pilot group and a copy of it found its way into the hands of this reporter. Our staff here at SWAPA has a record of this guy attempting to contact me after the alert was released but he was not put through. I don't do interviews nor am I the public face of our union. When confronted with my denial yesterday by our union president the reporter began some creative story changing and now has no recollection of when he actually might have spoken to me. Fact is he never has, and never will.

For those of you that gave us the benefit of the doubt until the facts could be determined, thanks! For those of you that did not, well, think about your initial reaction. Try not to use the jumpseat as a weapon, we are all much better than that

Jeff Hefner
SWAPA Air Safety

Jeff ole buddy will you walk my resume in.

 

[Falconjet]

SW and their people continue to amaze me. I am a proud member of ALPA, but I have a hard time seeing anybody in Herndon running something like this to ground that fast and getting the truth out.

Kudos to Jeff and SWAPA.

Oh yeah, the NYT sucks donkey. That ought to about cover the flyby.

FJ

 

[LXJ31]

NYT is, for some reason, held up as the standard for what news reporting should be. Strange considering how many of their reporters have been caught in the past couple of years simply making stuff up. The Arts section isn't too bad, but beyond that you might as well read The Weekly World News.

 

[Dizel8]

Are we really surprised? Come on, this is to be expected from SWAPA reps.

Douchebag, put down the ALPA crack pipe!

 

[Occam's Razor]

I tried to post earlier and it disappeared into cyberspace so if it eventually shows up please forgive the two posts. This thread and forum was passed on to me this morning and I decided to join so I could personally address the controversy.

I am the much maligned and detested Jeff Hefner that is the topic of this thread. Let me say first and categorically that this "interview" never took place and the "quotes" attributed to me are not factual and are fabricated. I have never spoken with this individual nor any other reporter about this topic and the quotes are not my views. Now how this happened is anybody's guess but I think from the conversations that the SWAPA President has had with this reporter might shed some light on it.

I am the current SWAPA Air Safety Committee Chair and the Go-Team Chief Investigator. The events of 8 Dec. 2005 at MDW have unfortunately somewhat heightened my visibility in the national aviation community. In January I authored and released a SWAPA Air Safety Alert which dealt with winter operations and some programming issues that involved our on-board performance computer. This Alert was distributed to our pilot group and a copy of it found its way into the hands of this reporter. Our staff here at SWAPA has a record of this guy attempting to contact me after the alert was released but he was not put through. I don't do interviews nor am I the public face of our union. When confronted with my denial yesterday by our union president the reporter began some creative story changing and now has no recollection of when he actually might have spoken to me. Fact is he never has, and never will.

For those of you that gave us the benefit of the doubt until the facts could be determined, thanks! For those of you that did not, well, think about your initial reaction. Try not to use the jumpseat as a weapon, we are all much better than that

Jeff Hefner
SWAPA Air Safety

Jeff,

1. Thanks for coming on here to tell your side.
2. Thanks for volunteering. Air Safety guys are the unsung heroes of union work.
3. I slimed you on another thread for the statements attributed to you. I apologize. Sometimes my indignation clouds my timing.

Blue skies.

 

[ferlo]

And this from their "safety" guy. What an A-hole.

 

[Flopgut]

Shoot first, ask questions later. The person who is right can always prove it, as Jeff has splendidly done here. Nice job, you're off the hook.

Now lets go after the reporter.