BEEF SUPREME
Well-Known Member
So I managed to find a job. It is a really good one and to make the deal even sweeter we wound up finishing out trip at my old job. I don't think flying a bigger airplane makes you a better person but it was pretty nice walking off the aircraft and saying hi to the line crew that I'm still very good friends with. I could go on about how all of the employees that I used to work with were very happy to see me and ask how things are going. To make a long story short I wound up offering to buy drinks at the local and spoke with some of my friends about how my employment at my former job was terminated. It turns out that things were a lot worse than I thought. I was told that the aircraft I flew, a KA200 was going bye bye and that was the reason for my lay off. It turns out that this wasn't the case at all.
My first few weeks of unemployment were a nightmare. I had no idea what to do and to make matters worse when I ran the tail number of my old airplane I saw that it was flying, a lot. It made me wonder what was going on and I realized that there was a lot more to the story. It turns out that my backup pilot got a DUI that was why I never got any time off. To make matters worse the DO, the CP and the dispatcher all lied to me about it. They told me that this pilot was always busy or "had a project." I heard this if I needed to go to the dentist or the doctor or drink a beer. They told me that I had coverage on the airplane but they never ever gave me one day off. To make matters even worse they still had the pilot who had a DUI flying with me. Even if I was fatigued or sick I still had to fly as PIC. He would act as the SIC only required for insurance. I don't know the legality of that.
Well after at least a month of never having one day off I broke and didn't make a flight because of a scheduling SNAFU. Well that exposed the pilot with the DUI. So all hell broke loose. Basically I got fired but I got the DO to call it getting "laid off" and got a pretty solid letter of rec. It was a tough way to get treated after being at the company for 5 years. The sad thing is is that they had told me what was going on I would have tried to help out. I'm not a rat.
Now that I found out what really happened I am seeing red. Not only did they have me flying with a guy with a DUI but they lied to me about my schedule and why I couldn't get a day off for at least a month. I saw the CP at the OAK airport today. I was seeing red. I wanted to walk over and pop him in the mouth but I have better things to do with my life. He kept looking at my airplane and then looking away. I thought that was pretty funny. I do however feel like I am sitting at the end of a bridge to nowhere. A bridge soaked in gasoline, a lighter in my hand. I keep flicking the lighter, click, click, click. Tonight, I want to go to the FAA and tell them about everything I know in hopes that I can do as much damage as possible. I'm not sure how I will feel tomorrow.
What would you do? Go to the FAA? Would my old employer even get in trouble? Is it worth it? Would there be any repercussions? I know really pulled the rabbit out of the hat flying a great airplane for a great company. I don't want to risk my new job. I also know someone from my old job could be reading this but I don't care. I hope your shaking in your boots.
My first few weeks of unemployment were a nightmare. I had no idea what to do and to make matters worse when I ran the tail number of my old airplane I saw that it was flying, a lot. It made me wonder what was going on and I realized that there was a lot more to the story. It turns out that my backup pilot got a DUI that was why I never got any time off. To make matters worse the DO, the CP and the dispatcher all lied to me about it. They told me that this pilot was always busy or "had a project." I heard this if I needed to go to the dentist or the doctor or drink a beer. They told me that I had coverage on the airplane but they never ever gave me one day off. To make matters even worse they still had the pilot who had a DUI flying with me. Even if I was fatigued or sick I still had to fly as PIC. He would act as the SIC only required for insurance. I don't know the legality of that.
Well after at least a month of never having one day off I broke and didn't make a flight because of a scheduling SNAFU. Well that exposed the pilot with the DUI. So all hell broke loose. Basically I got fired but I got the DO to call it getting "laid off" and got a pretty solid letter of rec. It was a tough way to get treated after being at the company for 5 years. The sad thing is is that they had told me what was going on I would have tried to help out. I'm not a rat.
Now that I found out what really happened I am seeing red. Not only did they have me flying with a guy with a DUI but they lied to me about my schedule and why I couldn't get a day off for at least a month. I saw the CP at the OAK airport today. I was seeing red. I wanted to walk over and pop him in the mouth but I have better things to do with my life. He kept looking at my airplane and then looking away. I thought that was pretty funny. I do however feel like I am sitting at the end of a bridge to nowhere. A bridge soaked in gasoline, a lighter in my hand. I keep flicking the lighter, click, click, click. Tonight, I want to go to the FAA and tell them about everything I know in hopes that I can do as much damage as possible. I'm not sure how I will feel tomorrow.
What would you do? Go to the FAA? Would my old employer even get in trouble? Is it worth it? Would there be any repercussions? I know really pulled the rabbit out of the hat flying a great airplane for a great company. I don't want to risk my new job. I also know someone from my old job could be reading this but I don't care. I hope your shaking in your boots.
