Penalized for fatigue report?!?!??!?

I get that. That's why I deleted it shortly after I wrote it. I was angry when I wrote it. Turns out I have been flying with a fractured wrist for a month. I went out of my way to support the company in their time of need but when I need some support they were not there. I made the choice to continue to fly since we were short pilots while waiting on the results for my wrist. I had a bad night without sleep and tried to get the company to be understanding. Instead they wrote me up for it. That made me angry. The guy in question was the one who was directly responsible because I tried to work with him and find a solution that worked for both parties. Instead he responded with a "my way or highway" sort of comment. Which is him deciding if I am fit to fly or not.

Right and that sucks. Update the resume and remember this when you're recommending a place for your friends to work. Remember, most people don't really care about your fitness to fly outside of big time professional companies. And even then they may not depending on the relationship between crewscheduling and the pilot group.

How things typically work is that someone is trying to make a schedule work and you being sick or fatigued or otherwise unfit to fly has made their day more complicated. The path of least resistance for most people in this situation is to "blame the pilot" because if they can ascribe blame it covers their ass, or at least they perceive that it does. That's why the guy is grumpy, he has a lot more work to do, and given what I know about your operation, the manpower isn't there so that dudes day is about to get chaotic. Add in some things in his home life and he becomes a dick and writes you up. Is it right? No, but without a union there isn't much you can do about it.

Regardless, even if it's wrong, go find a job that doesn't do that to its people, and tell Palpatine's Airforce to jam it. Regardless, don't let it bother you, I guarantee it's not as personal as you're taking it, and complaining about it publically can only hurt you - I guarantee it will not hurt them or change the way they do business.

There are plenty of companies I could air my dirty laundry about - but the tell all book comes after I hang up my headset for good.
 
I get that. That's why I deleted it shortly after I wrote it. I was angry when I wrote it. Turns out I have been flying with a fractured wrist for a month. I went out of my way to support the company in their time of need but when I need some support they were not there. I made the choice to continue to fly since we were short pilots while waiting on the results for my wrist. I had a bad night without sleep and tried to get the company to be understanding. Instead they wrote me up for it. That made me angry. The guy in question was the one who was directly responsible because I tried to work with him and find a solution that worked for both parties. Instead he responded with a "my way or highway" sort of comment. Which is him deciding if I am fit to fly or not.
This is why you need a union. This wouldn't have taken more than 15 seconds to sort out, and never would have gotten to where you are in the first place.
Update the resume. Find a better employer, or at least one where you have lawyers that have your back.
 
Dollars to donuts you work for a Crow-like airline indigenous to the north country?
Corvus. Raven. ... They're the same thing, just translated. The only real difference is tail feathers. :)
 
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Right and that sucks. Update the resume and remember this when you're recommending a place for your friends to work. Remember, most people don't really care about your fitness to fly outside of big time professional companies. And even then they may not depending on the relationship between crewscheduling and the pilot group.

How things typically work is that someone is trying to make a schedule work and you being sick or fatigued or otherwise unfit to fly has made their day more complicated. The path of least resistance for most people in this situation is to "blame the pilot" because if they can ascribe blame it covers their ass, or at least they perceive that it does. That's why the guy is grumpy, he has a lot more work to do, and given what I know about your operation, the manpower isn't there so that dudes day is about to get chaotic. Add in some things in his home life and he becomes a dick and writes you up. Is it right? No, but without a union there isn't much you can do about it.

Regardless, even if it's wrong, go find a job that doesn't do that to its people, and tell Palpatine's Airforce to jam it. Regardless, don't let it bother you, I guarantee it's not as personal as you're taking it, and complaining about it publically can only hurt you - I guarantee it will not hurt them or change the way they do business.

There are plenty of companies I could air my dirty laundry about - but the tell all book comes after I hang up my headset for good.

The problem for me is I REALLY like the company and the work we do. I liked Seaport too and we all remember what happened there. So I want to do all I can to support the company. In the end I think it helps me if I help the company.

However I come from the IT world and specifically IT startups. Where everyone benefits if the company goes big and fails if everyone at the company doesn't pull their weight. The problem here IS actually me. It would seem I need to change my thinking from that world to the world of being a commercial pilot.

Its too bad. Because I really like the company and the flying we do. Except for a few minor issues it's a great organization that I would love to make a career at.

Sigh.....you guys are going to drag me kicking and screaming into the 121 world.......(much as I hate to say it, its working). Standby for my next post, best starter airlines to apply to.
 
1.) Why would you say on here that you have been flying injured.
2.) We all want to see out companies thrive and do well but there come's a time when you need to realize you can/ should just be a number in certain instances.



O and I forgot. Whats up with the FO not feeling comfortable to do their damn job? That needs to be addressed. "I have my personal minimums!"
 
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This is why you need a union. This wouldn't have taken more than 15 seconds to sort out, and never would have gotten to where you are in the first place.
Update the resume. Find a better employer, or at least one where you have lawyers that have your back.

It would be nice, but I don't think FedEx allows their feeder carriers to unionize. Might just be a rumor but I've heard it from several people.

Also, I'm guessing the OP works at Empire Airlines? I'm almost certain it isn't us (MAC). I've called fatigue on numerous occasions and have never been given flack for it.
 
It would be nice, but I don't think FedEx allows their feeder carriers to unionize. Might just be a rumor but I've heard it from several people.

Also, I'm guessing the OP works at Empire Airlines? I'm almost certain it isn't us (MAC). I've called fatigue on numerous occasions and have never been given flack for it.

How does FedEx have any say in if a carrier unionizes? Sure, they could proverbially Comair the place, by pulling the planes, but its not like they could have them staffed anywhere else.
 
How does FedEx have any say in if a carrier unionizes? Sure, they could proverbially Comair the place, by pulling the planes, but its not like they could have them staffed anywhere else.

Exactly. And they are already having staffing issues at several feeders as it is.
 
1.) Why would you say on here that you have been flying injured.
2.) We all want to see out companies thrive and do well but there come's a time when you need to realize you can/ should just be a number in certain instances.



O and I forgot. Whats up with the FO not feeling comfortable to do their damn job? That needs to be addressed. "I have my personal minimums!"

Not an FO, it's a new Captain. We are a single pilot operation. That's a story for completely different thread and will be just as asinine as this one is.
 
I feel like in preparation for the next industry downturn there needs to be a sticky thread about “How to Survive Flying at a 135 Operation and Have Fun Doing It”. Because stories like this are too common but oftentimes totally avoidable WITHOUT folks letting themselves get pushed around.
 
I feel like in preparation for the next industry downturn there needs to be a sticky thread about “How to Survive Flying at a 135 Operation and Have Fun Doing It”. Because stories like this are too common but oftentimes totally avoidable WITHOUT folks letting themselves get pushed around.

I'd love to see and participate in a thread like that. I know you are not really serious but I think it would be a great resource from some of the more experienced members for some of the not so experienced members.

A lot of guys up and coming to the industry just out of flight training have no idea what to expect in the industry and they will regularly be told by a duchenozzle operator that everyone does it this way. So they stay thinking well this guy owns/manages/has been here longer than me so it must be true. I've been a victim of that myself.

New pilots have to build time somewhere to get to ATP mins. Their ONLY options are 91 and 135. So everyone has to go through this in some fashion or another.
So maybe a thread on what to watch out for while you do your time at a 135 would be a really good resource.

Hell I was drinking the kool aid so bad at one 135 I loaned them 20K to make payroll (yes I was paying for my own paycheck). Only to find out they never intended to spend that money on the company and had done that before. Had I know that prior I would not only not loaned them 20K I wouldn't have take the job in the first place.
 
It would be nice, but I don't think FedEx allows their feeder carriers to unionize. Might just be a rumor but I've heard it from several people.

Also, I'm guessing the OP works at Empire Airlines? I'm almost certain it isn't us (MAC). I've called fatigue on numerous occasions and have never been given flack for it.

Doesn't "allow" you to unionize? That's not how unions work...
 
Not an FO, it's a new Captain. We are a single pilot operation. That's a story for completely different thread and will be just as asinine as this one is.

O and I forgot. Whats up with the FO not feeling comfortable to do their damn job? That needs to be addressed. "I have my personal minimums!"

Nothing wrong with that if a new SPIFR CA. Would you rather the pilot be pushed into doing the flight uncertain of their ability to complete it safely? Did we all have superior airmanship skills straight out of the checkride?

We actually had a great thing going at the place where I started on the 'Van. If you canned the flight for wx that was just that - you did, no questions asked. If you were on the verge, you could just say you are not comfortable doing the flight and they'd make arrangements to have a more experienced pilot (chief or company owner) ride along with you, even if pax would need to be unloaded. It would still be your flight, but you'd have help should you need it, and you'd gain confidence for the flights to come. Never used that option, but it was nice to know that it is there and you won't just be pushed into doing something you're not ok with.
 
Nothing wrong with that if a new SPIFR CA. Would you rather the pilot be pushed into doing the flight uncertain of their ability to complete it safely? Did we all have superior airmanship skills straight out of the checkride?

I would agree except in this case the pilot should never have been put on the line. 3 failed check rides out of training. The pilots only experience is the family owned airplane that the pilot flew for all 1200 hours (There may have been a cessa or two at the beginning of training). Then hits 1200 hours and gets picked up by the company. And fails 3 check rides before getting on the line. The pilot is an accident waiting to happen. I don't want to see anyone get hurt least of all this pilot but there is a lot of bad decision making going on. So when we have bad weather days one of us more experienced pilots has to pick up the flight while the pilot goes home to binge watch Netflix and doesn't learn anything to improve their weather handling ability.

Heck I got stuck behind this pilot doing 112 knots in a Caravan with a 10 knot tailwind on a airway one day. ATC felt so bad for me they descended me let me pass 2000 below and climbed me back up so I could get home before Xmas.
 
I would agree except in this case the pilot should never have been put on the line. 3 failed check rides out of training. The pilots only experience is the family owned airplane that the pilot flew for all 1200 hours (There may have been a cessa or two at the beginning of training). Then hits 1200 hours and gets picked up by the company. And fails 3 check rides before getting on the line. The pilot is an accident waiting to happen. I don't want to see anyone get hurt least of all this pilot but there is a lot of bad decision making going on. So when we have bad weather days one of us more experienced pilots has to pick up the flight while the pilot goes home to binge watch Netflix and doesn't learn anything to improve their weather handling ability.

Heck I got stuck behind this pilot doing 112 knots in a Caravan with a 10 knot tailwind on a airway one day. ATC felt so bad for me they descended me let me pass 2000 below and climbed me back up so I could get home before Xmas.
Is she cute? Send her over, I'll set her straight :D

On the serious note - that's another story.
Bolded - ridealongs might help. If not, 300 more hrs and then the pilot is regional's problem
 
Is she cute? Send her over, I'll set her straight :D

On the serious note - that's another story.
Ridealongs might help. If not, 300 more hrs and then the pilot is regional's problem

What this pilot needs is more experiance. Not become someone else's problem. But that's not what's happening. There is value to being a CFI or doing anything else in a VFR environment while you get comfortable with the airplane and airspace. Throwing this person into the PNW winter IFR weather isn't going to end well. Even with the spaceship we fly.
 
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