Tutt's Letter To Pilots

[ASARJMan]

What ya'll think about it? He claims no pilot-pushing, and that the company is safety focused. What about ship 937 and all the incidents of smoke? Why can't ntc find the problem and fix it?

 

[scarlet]

what a waste of paper and the poor tree......I am from the show me state---SHOW ME!!!!!!!!!!! no raise in 4 years--they have saved a boat load of money in 4 years!!!!!! THANKS to US

 

[John Pennekamp]

Yeah, he sent a letter; ASA management's solution to everything. That'll take care of it. They'll never be smoke in the cockpit of ship 937 again, and no captain will ever refuse an airplane again. Way to go Charlie!

 

[bailout]

Where is this letter you speak of?
I havent got anything..

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Where is this letter you speak of?
I havent got anything..

I believe it is in our mailboxes in the crew rooms instead of on FLICA.

 

[HoserASA]

What ya'll think about it? He claims no pilot-pushing, and that the company is safety focused. What about ship 937 and all the incidents of smoke? Why can't ntc find the problem and fix it?

Well, pilot pushing, lemme think here. Oh yeah, I have an occurence for being fatigued! Guess that doesn't count as "pilot-pushing" though. I've had dispatchers try, and that's all they did was try, to get me to take a plane w/ a broke radar with T-storms building. I have many more examples over 16 years here. CT's letter is where it should be btw...

Oh yeah...ALPA and My MEC speak for me Mr T.

Hoser

 

[John Pennekamp]

Yeah, it's not pilot pushing. Just the System Chief Pilot (and Chicago Express refugee) SH calling the captain of ship 937 and saying "Come on *** I know you're going to 'help us out' here"; "Come on, I know you're a 'team player'"; "The airplane had been signed off, why not just reposition it to SAV"? The next day they deadhead him to ATL and a posse of chief pilots yanks him off the airplane, and whisks him away to a back room in front of everyone. No, that's not pilot pushing Charlie. SH never ACTUALLY THREATENED the pilot, just a veiled threat.

 

[av8er2]

Mgt. can write all they want. They have screwed us so many times they couldn't write anything that I would believe. ALPA is the only one that I know of that is on the pilots side.

Mgt. has done so many things over the years that all trust is gone. They are going to have to really go out of their way to gain the pilots trust back.

What I think is sad is that they now want to get the contract done when it benefits them, not that it is the right thing to do and treat the pilots right.

Good luck.

 

[ReportCanoa]

ASA's corporate culture is based on pilot pushing. It's not hard to miss the operations imbeciles in your face 24/7: "Are we ready to board?"; "Are we in maintenance"; "Are we on time today" ; "The computer shows we're maintenance clear, I'm sending them down" ; "Have you called the chief pilot".

I got news for you ASA: I'll board when I'm god dam-ned good and ready.

 

[bacardi]

im glad i threw that away and didnt read it. sounds like i would have been pissed all day

 

[shamrock]

Where is this letter you speak of?
I havent got anything..

You have to actually show up for work at the airport to get a copy.

There were also copies floating around in recurrent but you have to be awake to read those.

Guess you're 0 for 2.

 

[www.]

Yeah, it's not pilot pushing. Just the System Chief Pilot (and Chicago Express refugee) SH calling the captain of ship 937 and saying "Come on *** I know you're going to 'help us out' here"; "Come on, I know you're a 'team player'"; "The airplane had been signed off, why not just reposition it to SAV"? The next day they deadhead him to ATL and a posse of chief pilots yanks him off the airplane, and whisks him away to a back room in front of everyone. No, that's not pilot pushing Charlie. SH never ACTUALLY THREATENED the pilot, just a veiled threat.

Use his name! SCOTT HALL!

He's the one that when Chicago Express closed down "got paid" to help pilots find other jobs. He didn't do it out of the goodness of his heart, he was getting paid for it.

He's also the one that has told the ASA pilot group that he cannot honor our current agreement but he will honor our next one.

 

[filejw]

In reading from above I'll write this as a reminder. If you are ever greeted by a posse of management pilots don't say anything to them till you ALPA rep shows up.Not even hello. If it ends up being the next day so be it. That's the biggest thing we pay our dues for.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Tutt's letter leads me to really question his judgement. First, ALPA was correct to warn the pilots to be careful. Second, what is the harm in asking pilots to be careful?

Even if Charlie Tutt feels that ALPA was unfair in its account of events, the motivation was to make ASA a safer operation. What has Charlie Tutt got against that?

The memo was terribly demoralizing. It is apparent, by managements own actions, that their motivations are not the same as ours.

 

[AVoiceOfReason]

Yeah, he sent a letter; ASA management's solution to everything. That'll take care of it. They'll never be smoke in the cockpit of ship 937 again, and no captain will ever refuse an airplane again. Way to go Charlie!

Be careful about believing everything ALPA tells you. Charlie isn't telling people to "never refuse an airplane again". That is what ALPA is telling you that Charlie is saying. They aren't the same thing. I myself have refused 2 aircraft this month and haven't had any problems. There was a time when I would have been called to Bubba's office, but those times are over. ALPA is creating conflict to stir people up.

 

[AVoiceOfReason]

Well, pilot pushing, lemme think here. Oh yeah, I have an occurence for being fatigued! Guess that doesn't count as "pilot-pushing" though. I've had dispatchers try, and that's all they did was try, to get me to take a plane w/ a broke radar with T-storms building. I have many more examples over 16 years here. CT's letter is where it should be btw...

Oh yeah...ALPA and My MEC speak for me Mr T.

Hoser

As have I in the past. However in the past year, I have refused 3 aircraft, delayed several flights for thunderstorms (despite FC's pushing), and gone to the hotel once because I was fatigued. I have received no occurences and was not called onto the carpet once! That would not have happened in "the old days".

 

[AVoiceOfReason]

Tutt's letter leads me to really question his judgement. First, ALPA was correct to warn the pilots to be careful. Second, what is the harm in asking pilots to be careful?

Even if Charlie Tutt feels that ALPA was unfair in its account of events, the motivation was to make ASA a safer operation. What has Charlie Tutt got against that?

The memo was terribly demoralizing. It is apparent, by managements own actions, that their motivations are not the same as ours.

Fins,
There is no harm in "warning pilots to be careful" and "asking pilots to be careful". There is harm in half truths and outright lies that are designed to "fire up the troops".

You said:
"Even if Charlie Tutt feels that ALPA was unfair in its account of events, the motivation was to make ASA a safer operation".

I believe the motivation was to "fire up the troops". I believe Charlie and Scott want ASA to be a safer operation also. Why does ALPA need to be "unfair in its account" in order to make ASA a safer operation.

You say that "it is apparent, by managements own actions, that their motivations are not the same as ours". Since the motivations discussed here pertain to safety, are you saying that Charlie and Scott aren't motivated to make things safer here?

 

[AdamKooper]

The past 2 days on Concourse c and D have been a ClusterF**k. Anyone else witness it? Yesterday at one point it took us 40 mins to get from the runway to the gate and we were the lucky ones.

Maybe Tutt and LaBreak should fix their abortion of a ramp and stop hounding us.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

Did I end up in the ASA crew lounge by mistake? You are going to discuss a letter, but not post it?

WTF?

 

[atrdriver]

As have I in the past. However in the past year, I have refused 3 aircraft, delayed several flights for thunderstorms (despite FC's pushing), and gone to the hotel once because I was fatigued. I have received no occurences and was not called onto the carpet once! That would not have happened in "the old days".

And yet, I was just called in to sign a letter about my 3 occurances in teh past 6 months, 2 of which I was sent home BY THE CP'S because I was too sick/injured to fly. Why don't you go back to your office and think of something else do for management. BTW, ALPA has not said ONE WORD about this letter, What they did was warn pilots about management pushing pilots to fly an unsafe aircraft, which DID HAPPEN, and Tutt apparantly took offence to the, telling the truch, which prompted this letter from him.

 

[AVoiceOfReason]

And yet, I was just called in to sign a letter about my 3 occurances in teh past 6 months, 2 of which I was sent home BY THE CP'S because I was too sick/injured to fly. Why don't you go back to your office and think of something else do for management. BTW, ALPA has not said ONE WORD about this letter, What they did was warn pilots about management pushing pilots to fly an unsafe aircraft, which DID HAPPEN, and Tutt apparantly took offence to the, telling the truch, which prompted this letter from him.

I'm familiar with the letter you had to sign. I have signed it twice myself, and yet I am still here. The company has to have an attendance program, plain and simple.

ALPA hasn't said ONE WORD because they have been caught in a lie. Both ALPA and management agree that we shouldn't fly unsafe aircraft. I don't fly unsafe aircraft, and management hasn't pushed me. Dispatchers and MTC control occasionally try to push me, but I exercise those 4 stripes on my shoulder.

 

[Tomct]

Voice, go back to your office and shuffle some paper. ALPA is only trying to protect this pilot group: Unlike our mgmnt. They can't wait to hang someone for taking an a/c that they said was ok! Screw You and the horse you rode in on, That thing will stay parked ALL DAY if I feel that it is UNSAFE!! Here you have PISSED this pilot group off for the last 3-4 years and now they want us to be "Team Players!!" RIIIIIIIIGHT!!

GFY's!

 

[AVoiceOfReason]

Voice, go back to your office and shuffle some paper. ALPA is only trying to protect this pilot group: Unlike our mgmnt. They can't wait to hang someone for taking an a/c that they said was ok! Screw You and the horse you rode in on, That thing will stay parked ALL DAY if I feel that it is UNSAFE!! Here you have PISSED this pilot group off for the last 3-4 years and now they want us to be "Team Players!!" RIIIIIIIIGHT!!

GFY's!

Sorry, don't have an office to back to. ALPA as an organization is looking out for ALPA. Many of ALPA's volunteers are truly trying to protect this pilot group. I believe most of our ALPA volunteers are trying to protect us. That being said, there are also agendas at work here.

If you feel your aircraft is UNSAFE, you should park it ALL DAY. I have done this here in the past and recently. It is far easier to do NOW than it was IN THE PAST. Both ALPA and management have pissed me off in the past 3-4 years.

 

[ohplease!]

I have refused several planes here. Never once have I gotten in ANY trouble for it. It did piss off a dispatcher on two occasions but, guess what? That dispatcher wasn't sitting in ANY of the 53 or 69 seats on those planes. I've also had mtc control "ask" me to fly a broken plane empty. A simple AND POLITE no thanks was all that was necessary to end that idea. No argument, no question why.

The fact IS, we have SOME captains here that either do not have enough experience/knowledge to understand when something is truly a no -go item or are just pissed off at mgmt and want to screw the company. Proof of this can be seen often in the mtc can with some of the STUPID write-ups I've read and some of the conversations over the radio I've heard.

I refuse to believe anyone here pilot/mgmt/disp/mtc would willingly put even one person in danger by intentionally tricking/bullying them into flying a plane that should not be flown.

On the other hand, this is about getting paying customers from A-B. Don't strand/screw our pax because you either don't know enough or are just pissed off at mgmt.

 

[Blucher]

I have refused several planes here. Never once have I gotten in ANY trouble for it. It did piss off a dispatcher on two occasions but, guess what? That dispatcher wasn't sitting in ANY of the 53 or 69 seats on those planes.

Ohplease, when did we get 69 seat a/c? I sure hope you didn't forget one of your FA's!

-Blucher

 

[Stifler's Mom]

I have refused several planes here. Never once have I gotten in ANY trouble for it. It did piss off a dispatcher on two occasions but, guess what? That dispatcher wasn't sitting in ANY of the 53 or 69 seats on those planes.

Ohplease, when did we get 69 seat a/c? I sure hope you didn't forget one of your FA's!

-Blucher

He was probably looking at some porn, and for some reason that number got transferred to this post. Now the 53-seat aircraft I can't explain.

 

[ohplease!]

He was probably looking at some porn, and for some reason that number got transferred to this post. Now the 53-seat aircraft I can't explain.

66+2pilots+2FA's=70 oops (71 if you add JS)
50+2pilots+1FA=53 (54 if you add JS)

 

[Stifler's Mom]

66+2pilots+2FA's=70 oops (71 if you add JS)
50+2pilots+1FA=53 (54 if you add JS)

OK, I thought maybe you were telling us that ASA was a guarentee lock for some new 69 and 53-seat aiframes.

 

[HoserASA]

As have I in the past. However in the past year, I have refused 3 aircraft, delayed several flights for thunderstorms (despite FC's pushing), and gone to the hotel once because I was fatigued. I have received no occurences and was not called onto the carpet once! That would not have happened in "the old days".

Voice, I recently signed "the letter" after 4 occurences, one of which was for being fatigued and refusing to fly. I have a couple of other occasions years ago, under G&J, when I refused to fly tired, and didn't acquire an occurence. I did get called into the CP's office though. So, you're wrong about the past!

Of course, if you're a 'management pilot', maybe that's why you don't get called in.

I'll do it again if I'm fatigued. Knowing that one will have an occurence for refusing to fly tired is pilot pushing!

Hoser

 

[Pogue Mahone]

As have I in the past. However in the past year, I have refused 3 aircraft, delayed several flights for thunderstorms (despite FC's pushing), and gone to the hotel once because I was fatigued. I have received no occurences and was not called onto the carpet once! That would not have happened in "the old days".

That's because when you go to see the Chief Pilot...you swallow.