Running out of money when retirement is 2 years away, as a pilot means you made some bad decisions. Yawn. It is very it isn't the responsibility of the innocent to prove their innocence. February 13, 2021 - Spirit Airlines has announced it is hiring new pilots and flight attendants in anticipation of a return to normal travel levels in 2021. My FAA incident was long before I went there. As a commercial truck driver I am subject to random drug and alcohol tests as well, so I understand the implications of refusal to test. Which, from the standpoint of efficiency, was/is stupid. Isnt it possible he is partially to blame. The drug test administrator probably has an accent/English may not be their first language. See more about our ethics policies here. August 2021 - Envoy is introducing the Pilot Retention and Bonus Program for pilots to earn up to $150,000 in retention compensation and captain bonuses. As a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group, Envoy is the largest regional airline provider for American, the worlds largest airline. Additionally, the US-based carrier hired nearly 3,500 new employees in 2021 and plans to hire 350 pilots by the end of 2021 and over 1,000 pilots and 800 flight attendants in 2022. Several others offered their input. Planning classes of 30 new hires bi-weekly, starting in April. However, it was Uniteds CEO, Scott Kirby, who had the most to say. Clearly the testing company (through their employee) bears some degree of fault for reporting this as a "refusal" rather than a paperwork mix-up. The board vote was 17 to 2, with one person abstaining. According to his testimony, nearly 100 regional aircraft are parked at United due to the ongoing pilot shortage. Sooo disappointed. Their heads are thick as a brick. Here's an analogy. Unable to work in his profession, he spent his life savings. First off, his savings and how quickly he blew through it, not for me to comment. To force those pilots out of their positions, rather than offering viable alternatives will have adverse consequences upon their families and the airline industry as a whole., As of Wednesday, the APA was hopeful that it could negotiate exemptions despite the companys looming deadline,sayingit fully expects American Airlines management to continue its historical practice of bargaining with APA over issues related to the implementation and impact of the announced COVID-19 vaccine mandate.. It's hard enough to get a private pilot's license and for one person to place this fabricated, lie and get away with it, Just isn't fair and forever in a day this will follow me. Other airlines are planning the same type of walkouts. He could have asked the Contractor for the full name on the requisition for the drug test. In fact, Southwest also had a series of weather and technical delays in June that resulted in thousands of delays and cancellations. Employees not fully vaccinated will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result weekly, according to the memo. I was reading and kept wondering ok wheres are his Union reps. You can be broke making $250,000 or $25,000 a year. American Airlines sent out a defiant email to all of its U.S. employees, putting them on notice that if they do not get fully vaccinated against COVID by November 24, they will be FIRED on the spot. He was combative with other crew, passengers and airline staff and ultimately failed the drug test and was fired by the airline. After 21 years of service he surely knew the seriousness of the situation. He spent all his money doesn't mean he's guilty. This has been in court for over two years. I wish him luck. Alaska Airlines Business Card Review: 70K Miles & Lufthansas Boeing 787 Business Class: Exactly As Expected. Unfortunately his career ended abruptly in August 2020. How I wish I could go back to 2000 and live in that picture and the simple life of joy and pride I once had, he said. Twitter user @ClapBackKyle claims to be an American Airlines pilot (and in his Twitter bio he refers to himself first and foremost as a "professional pilot"), and he has threatened to kick me off his flight if I'm ever flying with him. Isnt this one of the main purposes of unions, to defend employees in situations like this? He previously worked as a business journalist for the Orlando Sentinel, Tulsa World and The Monitor in McAllen. The unions board of directors representing 14,000 pilots at American Airlines pinned some of the periods of heavy cancellations and flight delays this summer on the operations team that helps run the companys day-to-day flight schedule. Exhausted his 401K and sold cars and shares to survive ? I've been exactly there. When people comment that he has used up his savings perhaps they are forgetting something. Not sure they state the rank of the person on the testing order. In one hospital, theyre putting in nurses aides in place of nurses. Granted, if the AA calls came in hours later, maybe the captain was sleeping. He needed to keep a level head even though he was obviously affronted this demand. Airline . I would be willing to AA and the drug testing company botched the entire testing procedure. They do the job for pay and benefits . Throughout the summer of 2021, middle management chose to advance cancel hundreds of flights, disrupting thousands of travel plans while at the same time damaging the American Airlines brand, the resolution calling for the firings said. Its SAD how $ dictates MOST weak minded ppl! May 2021 - Horizon Air is accepting aspiring pilots into their Pilot Development Program. Crazy. He deserves compensation, especially since as a senior Captain, those are the years you make the His life finances have nothing to do with him being fired. July 2021 - Envoy is pleased to announce the return of a bonus for all new hire pilots. Hes turning 65 in January 2023, which is the retirement age for pilots. It is very likely for these reasons that the judge ruled in favor of the pilot. How do you know he wasn't recently divorced, and lost everything? Pilots at four U.S. airlines are now seeing significantly larger paychecks as the industry faces a pilot shortage. CHICAGO (WLS) -- United Airlines said it has fired almost 600 employees for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID, despite the mandate the company put in place. Airlines are hiring at faster rates than ever before. Maybe if the contractor's mistake is not asking for dimwit to take the test. The Allied Pilots Association has been at odds with American Airlines for months after being allies for most of last year in begging the federal government for more than $52 billion in aid that went to helping airlines cover payrolls. Surely for something as important as a drug test, the pilot could have said, "we have Mr. John Doe and Ms. Jane Smith here, now, who is the one you are looking for?" This man was a faithful employee who got the boot right as he was getting ready for retirement. He deserves compensation, especially since as a senior Captain, those are the years you make the most. On the other hand, the pilot should not have cavalierly said "No David here!" I believe he should be granted, by the judge and jury, three times what his retirement should have been. 1981, when President Reagan fired over 11,000 air traffic controllers for participating in a strike in violation of a return-to-work order. How does it feel to be living under a dictatorship. Never in my worst nightmare could I have dreamed my happy world of personal and professional achievement and pride could end so disastrously as it did, he said. This is why the contractor should always check their badge just incase they pronounce the name wrong, even if they say they are not the person. Lessons learned. They have no CBA with the FAA, government, Eulen or airport. It's really hard to tell what happened at the jet bridge. Pilots (and even more so Capitan of a legacy airline) are some of the most well compensated professions in the planet, especially in America. In 2000, a ramp agent took the picture above of him at Palm Beach International Airport. But, he didnt really win the election so our suffering is a grave injustice. However, with a judge having now ruled on the case, it seems pretty clear that this is roughly what happened. The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered. Could Barry possibly be in the background? Heres a case where someone got fired over a drug test situation, even though they had nothing to hide. How do you know he wasn't recently divorced, and lost everything? it isn't the responsibility of the innocent to prove their innocence. FedEx to no longer require pilots to have a 4-year degree to apply, and hire 70 pilots per month for the "foreseeable future". Divorced, picked a wrong person. The union only represents you when you get disciplined by the company. The Chicago-based airline is the first of the large U.S. carriers to announce it will resume pilot hiring, the latest sign its preparing for a recovery. It seems, the "corporate world" acted not only too quickly, but also vindictively by having a government entity further the egregious error. Far worse than anything I ever knew after many years at UAL. Envoy Is Introducing the Pilot Retention and Bonus Program for Pilots to Earn Up to $150,000 in Retention . The pilot continues to fly and continues to use drugs. Starting today, July 28, 2021, Envoy now offers new hire pilots a $15,000 sign-on bonus, paid out over the first year. As Ingram explains: That night was the end of all pay and benefits. In fact, Envoy Airlines, one of American Airlines' wholly owned regional carriers, offers as much as $175,000 in bonusesalbeit with many fine-print clausesto attract and retain pilots. Its also hiring flight instructors and flight attendant recruiters as it gets ready for recovery. I completely agree and that is exactly what I said. The union didnt specify who exactly should be replaced but said it was below senior management. American Airlines Pilot Fired Over Botched Drug Test, American pilot didnt take drug test intended for someone else, American Airlines Rolls Out New Safety Video. Also, how was the union not able to do something to help? It's the dirtiest of business practices. Quit. Cumulative raises will amount to . I think AA failed to notify the pilot properly and clearly. I would be willing to bet he never treated his employer as poorly as they have treated him! Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. Maybe he was sick, or a family member was sick, and it cost a fortune cancer treatment, is upwards of 300k. JetBlue pilots inspire teamwork and take pride in making values-based decisions in the air and on the ground. Kyle Arnold is the aviation writer for The Dallas Morning News, covering airlines, air travel and the aerospace industry. We worked together with the same CFI and when a disgruntled Ex girlfriend of mine went to a FAA online whistle blowing website made a faults accusation that I was an illicited drug user of 3 different kinds of drugs and proceeded to file it as annonymous user. October 2021 - Southwest Pilot application window will Open Oct 1-10! Smart money says the contractor had an accident, pronounced the W as a V, and this pilot, unless we are to believe he has never heard someone with an accent attempt to pronounce his name, figured he could just move on by saying it wasnt his name. So the union's hands were tied. Odds are the person pronounced Dewitt as David (we have no info on that person, may or may not have an accent) and the guy took advantage of the situation. As of the last month and a half, certainly we at American have been flying as good of an airline and as good as an on-time performance completion factor as weve ever had, Parker said during a video interview with The Washington Post. SCHAPER: The pilots' unions at both American and Southwest note that the FAA prohibits pilots from flying for 48 hours after getting a COVID vaccine shot because of potential short-term side. American Airlines tells TMZ the pilot who made the announcement was in uniform but not flying the plane that day. 2016 www.independentsentinel.com. UPS hired 23 pilots in January. Then againlong trip and someone is asking for someone else, you are in go-home mode. I hope that the pilot does get a good settlement though. I was Random tested 3x within a matter of months in the past. DeWitt Ingram, a 21-year American pilot, wants his life back. The 2 most addictive substance is still not regulated anywhere. It's been a long year, but we're excited to announce that the Pilot application window at GoJet Airlines is NOW OPEN! April 2021 - SkyWest Airlines pilots have more opportunity, exposure, and access than any other regional pilots, allowing them to truly Take Control of Their Pilot Careers. Since the FAA unlawfully revoked his license, he may have a seperate claim against them for taking away his living w/o proof of any crime or policy violation. DeWitt Ingram joined American Airlines predecessor MetroJet in 1999. He needs to get his job back and then some. In August 2020, Ingram, 64, became trapped in a nightmarish scenario involving a botched attempt by an employee of a ground services. Mention of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.14 CFR part 142 programs provided by ATP Jet Simulation, Inc. The following morning, Ingram awoke to several voicemails from American Airlines flight department, expressing shock that he refused to take a drug and alcohol test. I would not only suit AA and Euling companies, but I will also would go and suit APA , the Pilots union representing all 15,000 Professional Pilots at AA for not following through. So even if he got his job back he couldn't work without that license. The Pilot conducts flight operations in strict compliance with company policies, procedures, and federal regulations. They both messed up. I have been called Steven, Kevin, DevinI ALWAYS ask did you mean.me? I received a warning for this incident, even though I was clearly not on opiods! But when airline employees speak out, big problems emerge. Could be any of the cockpit or cabin crew. Botched a drug test for Dimwit, picked a wrong time to be ignorant. In this post: American pilot didn't take drug test intended for someone else Court sides with fired pilot What a terrible, cruel story Bottom line This is a disastrous and sad story.No matter what kind of a settlement he gets it isnt going to compensate him for what they did to him . But no last name? We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Worse yet AAL managers sanctioned it wholeheartedly and aggressively. They get a couple of hours of pay. Hope pilot's lawyers torch AAL. To that extent, the airline will be opening up positions for roughly 120 pilots. Thomas Pallini. American Airlines reports they are "investigating" a pilot for his comments on social media and on a podcast about a diversity curriculum for his local Dallas-area school district. I'd love for other crewmembers to chime in to tell what procedures exist or existed at their airline. My FAA incident was long before I went there. To be clear, The people hired to make check marks or spelled names barely speak English, and there they're pronunciation and/or or there Capacity to check the correct boxes Can be in question definitely. May 2022 - FedEx: No Degree Required and Hiring 70 Pilots Per Month. Now as far as clarification on the name, they both should have stayed to clear that up. Walking off and being dismissive was not a practical decision. Within a hundred years, among their descendants, there were roughly forty variations of the family name because of the census workers' incorrect spelling. He sued the airline and during the discovery phase it came out that another pilot had reported suspicions that he was under the influence of drugs previously. This is the type of mistake I tried to avoid, "Ive exhausted my 401K and sold stock and two cars to survive.". That night was the end of all pay and benefits, Ingram said. But, assuming it transpired exactly as reported by the pilot (and memory is rarely precisely correct) the pilot should have asked to see the test paperwork to ensure there wasn't a mix-up. Ingram began flying for American predecessor MetroJet, a US Airways offshoot, in 1999. Well a PhD like you should know, the problem lies at who determines what is considered "drugs". I am not surprised this happened. In the other, a judge allowed his lawsuit to proceed seeking compensation for the incident. United Airlines' CEO Scott Kirby revealed six of its pilots were fired after not getting vaccinated. June 2021 - American Airlines Group Inc. dropped about 1% % of its scheduled daily flights for July after a faster-than-expected surge in summer travel led to crew shortages. The FAAs intent was to establish that proper notification had occurred or that there was a refusal to test on the part of the pilot, he said. After 40 years working no savings or anything ? That is a lot of employees. Now, of course in retrospect, I think its worth acknowledging that there might have been a better way to handle this. Some really great made up time, money and more. I don't want someone who makes bad decision flying me around. The website cannot function properly without these cookies. Random Testing is very much needed. The pilot should be vindicated and WELL compensated. Whatever the outcome, Ingram will never fly for American again. It I were on the jury, I'd award Hon 100 million dollars. He has lived in limbo ever since. I would not only suit AA and Euling companies, but I will also would go and suit APA , the Pilots union representing all 15,000 Professional Pilots at AA for not following through. Hmmm. The powers that be can always hire the same people that they suggest can now be brain surgeons, engineers, etc.. Pilot Retention Bonus Program, up to $150,000. November 2021 - American Airlines: Were Staffing Up for the Holidays. Simply walking past the tester was both rude and could create the appearance that, in fact, the pilot was attempting to evade or delay a test. Hard to believe this actually happened at the time they asked for David, couldnt he just say, Im Dewitt, is that the name your looking for? Currently Hiring 80 Instructors Per Month. Carl Eisen, a former airline pilot, at the Punta Gorda Airport in Punta Gorda, Florida, in June. In one case, which had a Miami hearing on Oct. 19 , an administrative law judge at a National Transportation Safety Board hearing ruled that the FAA took his license illegally. Good luck, Although I agree with the testing asking for a person and it was the wrong person should have been noted somewhere in the testing company notes all the things that happened to cthis pilot was an avoidable situation Im happy he took it to court and the ones who blessed up are held liable, I wouldve thought the pilot wouldve stay there and try and find out who this David was or if it was him with a typo mistake. Seems as though the management of this process is very disorganized and that AA instead of canning the pilot should have launched an investigation of how this occurred. Pilots who start training and building their hours now will be among the most competitive. It could have stopped the infamous Christopher Duntsch in Dallas, TX, amongst others operating under the influence. They are tasked with assuring that American Airlines operation is reliable, not only for our pilots but most importantly for our passengers, Allied Pilots Association spokesman Dennis Tajer said. Focus on the story.