Republic letter to Pilots

DE727UPS said:
Holy schnikees.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A former Republic Airlines pilot has pleaded guilty to threatening to torture and kill the company's CEO and his family.

The U.S. attorney's office says 37-year-old Matthew Richard Walker, of Faribault, Minn., entered the plea Monday in federal court in Kansas City.

Prosecutors said one threatening letter was discovered in August 2012 in the cockpit of an aircraft at Reagan National Airport in Washington. Four identical letters were later discovered on planes in Washington, Charlotte, N.C., and Kansas City, Mo., as well as aboard an aircraft en route from Reagan National Airport to Indianapolis International Airport. A fifth letter was discovered in the Kansas City airport's crew room.

Walker faces up to five years in federal prison without parole and a $250,000 fine.
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What… The…

I'll bet you a $1 it took all of five minutes to figure out who was leaving the notes.
 
Firebird2XC said:
That'd take a lot of clout on the hill, especially after there was so much noise made for so long about implementing the program.
I wouldn't doubt they'd try it, but when has the FAA loosened safety and licensing protocols? I don't recall a time they've ever gone less restrictive in that regard. (Correct me if I'm wrong by all means, but wouldn't that be an entirely new kind of precedent?)

Even if they succeeded... We'd only need a few years to see a big status quo shift. That might be enough.
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I agree with this. I'm not sure the FAA is willing to set that kind of precedent.... that is, trade safety standards for increased pilot staffing. The next time someone had a hull loss, there would be hell to pay regardless of the cause of the accident.

Even if it ever happens, it will take longer than the current rule took. February 2009 to August 2013.... 4.5 years?



In any case, I'm going to have a party any time a regional airline shuts down or operating certificate goes away. There's a Zeek's Pizza that opened within stumbling distance of my apartment if Chautauqua goes away due to the cuts...
 
DE727UPS said:
Holy schnikees.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A former Republic Airlines pilot has pleaded guilty to threatening to torture and kill the company's CEO and his family.

The U.S. attorney's office says 37-year-old Matthew Richard Walker, of Faribault, Minn., entered the plea Monday in federal court in Kansas City.

Prosecutors said one threatening letter was discovered in August 2012 in the cockpit of an aircraft at Reagan National Airport in Washington. Four identical letters were later discovered on planes in Washington, Charlotte, N.C., and Kansas City, Mo., as well as aboard an aircraft en route from Reagan National Airport to Indianapolis International Airport. A fifth letter was discovered in the Kansas City airport's crew room.

Walker faces up to five years in federal prison without parole and a $250,000 fine.
Click to expand...

This is an important lesson to learn, as I would not want to go to Federal Prison.
 
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A former Republic Airlines pilot has pleaded guilty to threatening to torture and kill the company's CEO and his family.

The U.S. attorney's office says 37-year-old Matthew Richard Walker, of Faribault, Minn., entered the plea Monday in federal court in Kansas City.

Prosecutors said one threatening letter was discovered in August 2012 in the cockpit of an aircraft at Reagan National Airport in Washington. Four identical letters were later discovered on planes in Washington, Charlotte, N.C., and Kansas City, Mo., as well as aboard an aircraft en route from Reagan National Airport to Indianapolis International Airport. A fifth letter was discovered in the Kansas City airport's crew room.

Walker faces up to five years in federal prison without parole and a $250,000 fine.
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I guess he couldnt fit everything on the inside of the yoke cap so felt a letter was needed.
 
Ask any airline mechanic. If a pilot has a history of doing anything they shouldn't do in an airplane, it doesn't take an episode of CSI to connect the dots.
 
wildfreightess said:
Personally, I'm a little pissed they're waiting until springtime to close ORD and CLE. After the winter we've had, the last thing I want to do is spend all summer in training! And how am I to live without the Pot Roast Sandwich?
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What is this pot roast sandwich you speak of. I was just a CLE and was looking for lunch.
 
This seems almost directly written for the sole purpose if ruffling the faa and congress feathers about the 1500hr requirement. They want to be able to say "look what you made us do."
 
pete2800 said:
I agree with this. I'm not sure the FAA is willing to set that kind of precedent.... that is, trade safety standards for increased pilot staffing. The next time someone had a hull loss, there would be hell to pay regardless of the cause of the accident.

Even if it ever happens, it will take longer than the current rule took. February 2009 to August 2013.... 4.5 years?
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Aren't we the optimist! They've been talking about MPL for years now and of course that won't be a reduction in safety because the training will be...scientific and superior! And shifty-eyed little bastards will be lined up around the block to get one with 100% financing* to capitalize on the "Great Pilot Shortage" before it's too late! That's provided the stock market doesn't implode, first. And your new co-pilot will be an innumerate sucker who isn't licensed to fly a kite without someone to hold their hand. Yeah, the future is bright, we can all relax!

*(150% interest, compounding monthly)
 
jgheggie said:
This seems almost directly written for the sole purpose if ruffling the faa and congress feathers about the 1500hr requirement. They want to be able to say "look what you made us do."
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Im sure the FAA knows the real deal and wont budge on relaxing the rule. Its not the feds problem that the companies wont pay their pilots a decent wage.
 
Boris Badenov said:
Aren't we the optimist! They've been talking about MPL for years now and of course that won't be a reduction in safety because the training will be...scientific and superior! And shifty-eyed little bastards will be lined up around the block to get one with 100% financing* to capitalize on the "Great Pilot Shortage" before it's too late! That's provided the stock market doesn't implode, first. And your new co-pilot will be an innumerate sucker who isn't licensed to fly a kite without someone to hold their hand. Yeah, the future is bright, we can all relax!

*(150% interest, compounding monthly)
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Nah, I'm not optimistic, but I just think that the reality of the situation is that Congress moves at sub-glacial speeds.

That is, if the sky is actually falling, it's falling very very slowly.
 
Derg said:
What… The…

I'll bet you a $1 it took all of five minutes to figure out who was leaving the notes.
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Considering the work environment here probably about 10-15 minutes... Lot of pissed off people at that point and they seriously need help.

Couple points to be made from the inside:

CLE base obviously will close with 12 aircraft disappearing from United side, although the announcement hasn't officially been made. Word on the inside is that we asked DL to reduce our flying by a couple of aircraft last month for staffing issues also, apparently 6 United painted 145s will be repainted to DL colors (probably the LR2s). Basically, they're shoring up Delta with the United remants of CLE. The 140s for American have been on the chopping block for awhile now, it but the plan was always to replace them with 175s which are poorly staffed so its a bit of a switch, with the crews to do it... still a net loss in aircraft. Looks like I might get on that 170 I tried so hard to get after all, however upgrades just got further away.

Also, although again I can't to say to much, but a TA is coming... in a few weeks not months. Its not groundbreaking, but not concessionary either and will fix many of our contract issues and probably will pass. Word is we're gunning for some of the Mesa 170 flying, us being better staffed may be the deciding factor.

Get your swim trunks and your flippy floppys. Its going to be a wild summer.
 
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HVYMETALDRVR said:
Word is we're gunning for some of the Mesa 170 flying, us being better staffed may be the deciding factor.

Get your swim trunks and your flippy floppys. Its going to be a wild summer.
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I guess their grand plan is to take the leases of the Mesa 170's off United's hands? Doesn't Mesa start getting these planes real soon anyhow? Seems a bit ambitious. You guys are dangerous...:sarcasm:
 
pete2800 said:
Sometimes the airlines, and sometimes Congress.
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pete2800 said:
http://www.alpa.org/portals/alpa/1500Rule/
"Directed by Congress, the Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act of 2010 called for increased minimum requirements for airline first officers. The new rule mandates that airline first officers hold an air transport pilot (ATP) certificate or the new “restricted ATP.”"


;)
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Boris Badenov said:
Who do you think tells congress what to do?
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Apparently I have to spell the word lobbyist. I thought I was being funny apparently petey doesn't think so.

My comedy is lost on plebians (channeling my inner Niel Tyson).
 
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