As former Chief, Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention & Control Program HQ U.S. Army Europe, I "saw" numerous soldiers discharged from the army for "drug positives." 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. He just makes bad decisions. UPS hired 23 pilots in January. 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JetBlue pilots inspire teamwork and take pride in making values-based decisions in the air and on the ground. 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. Products?! Never asked someone else if a person was there. By October 7, that number decreased to 232. That night was the end of all pay and benefits, Ingram said. The COVID-19 pandemic decimated travel worldwide when cities and . DeWitt Ingram, a 21-year American pilot, wants his life back. Is it true that in the USA, pilots have only a first name and no surname. It seems big,RICH corporations like to save $ by firing ppl illegally so they dont have to pay them their pension! Clearly the testing company (through their employee) bears some degree of fault for reporting this as a "refusal" rather than a paperwork mix-up. Unfortunately his career ended abruptly in August 2020. American Closing SFO Flight Attendant Base: Whats The Real Motive? June 2021 - Uniteds new blockbuster order for 270 new Airbus and Boeing aircraft comes with huge job growth. They claimed bankruptcy, just to screw all the retirees, and opened right back up. Business owners in America R just GREEDY D-BAGS willing to ruin a life to save $! A Southwest Airlines pilot who watched porn and exposed his genitals to a female officer on a flight to Florida has been sentenced to one year of probation. In 1954. July 2021 - Southwest Airlines is coming back, and the airline is focused on having the staffing it needs in a post-crisis world. Ive exhausted my 401K and sold stock and two cars to survive. Several others offered their input. Other airlines are planning the same type of walkouts. See all new ATP instructors who started in the last 12 months and learn about their backgrounds on the ATP CFI page. How do you know the Eulen employee lied? The pilot should have stuck around and confirmed the true name of the tested, and the testing company should not have jumped to conclusions and deemed it as a refusal to test. 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. Focus on the story. Sick, picked a wrong insurance. Sick, picked a wrong insurance. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Scares the CR** out of me. I'm an FAA Airman too. Look at Hostess Foods. They have no CBA with the FAA, government, Eulen or airport. He previously worked as a business journalist for the Orlando Sentinel, Tulsa World and The Monitor in McAllen. Okay, so this whole thing sounds fishy. 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. It could have stopped the infamous Christopher Duntsch in Dallas, TX, amongst others operating under the influence. I tested positive for opioids one time because I ate an Everything Spice Bagel the day before my test. 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. April 2021 - United Airlines on Thursday told staff it will soon begin hiring hundreds of pilots a process the airline was forced to halt when coronavirus pandemic devastated travel demand last year, according to an internal email reviewed by CNBC. 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 It's like the Army, it's called SNAFU, it's the norm. My brother and I grew up around aircraft our whole lives. A pilot with a social media following for his anti-vaccine views has gone viral for attacking his airline's mandate on employees getting the coronavirus shot. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. but rather should have given the tester time to check the paperwork and get it straightened out. I hope DeWitt gets every single penny he deserves. The pilot and the airline settled and the case was marked secret in the court system at the request of both parties. Walking off and being dismissive was not a practical decision. Theres still junk everywhere. The issue was that the drug test was allegedly for someone else, so the pilot didnt take it. There is no mistaking the patient. The Federal Aviation Administration's strict rules on pilot mental health cause many to keep depression and anxiety a secret, out of fear of losing their jobs. First off, his savings and how quickly he blew through it, not for me to comment. And with an industry leading flow-through agreement to American, Envoy pilots have a direct path to a mainline flying career, with no additional interview required. Be careful what you eat! If this were reddit, it'd be an ETA from me. Exhausted his 401K and sold cars and shares to survive ? As it turns out, the pilot who took that video has been fired by Volaris. To think that I thought AAL was the pinnacle of airlines at one time. 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. You can become an airline pilot. I've been exactly there. Divorced, picked a wrong person. Focus on the story. April 2021 - Delta Air Lines said Wednesday it will resume hiring new pilots, following other carriers in preparing for future staffing as travel demand rebounds. Reasons include: * Flying or attempting to fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The FAA revoked my Medical license and ordered me for a drug test out of my own pocket. Stay prepared. Seems like the guy giving the drug test should have double checked on the name by looking at a ID makes more sense to me. It takes two years to become a qualified airline pilot, making it essential to consider the long-term career outlook. The FAA took this one individual's report as being truth before even getting a second conformation to validate this accusation. According to their union, 4,200 of American's 14,000 pilots are not vaccinated. Guy Midkiff, a 62-year-old Southlake, TX resident, has come under fire for criticizing a . I'm 22 and on my way to become a professional pilot, I have gotten most ratings done, and also an associates degree. 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. Read More. Im a retired Bus driver who also got drug tested. This program is in addition to the $15,000 signing bonus Envoy is offering new pilots today and will make it even more attractive for candidates who want to join the Envoy team. Pilots training and building their hours now will be among the most competitive. Mention of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.14 CFR part 142 programs provided by ATP Jet Simulation, Inc. 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. * A felony conviction. Doesnt sound like hes totally blameless in this situation, yet of course not fully to blame either. 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. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in. Kyle Arnold. There are 3 checkmarks. The fault lies with both parties. According to an internal memo, FedEx to no longer require pilots to have a 4-year degree to apply, and hire 70 pilots per month for the "foreseeable future". This man was a faithful employee who got the boot right as he was getting ready for retirement. The union h May 2021 - Horizon Air is accepting aspiring pilots into their Pilot Development Program. The pilot continues to fly and continues to use drugs. As for the captain, sounds like he would have known how serious this stuff was, why walk off like nothing happened? I know of a pilot who worked for an airline and was selected for drug testing after an aborted take-off due to flaps not being set correctly. June 2021 - Delta Air Lines will begin hiring 150 per month starting in September until the end of the year. If just David, the Eulen America employee should be put in prison. What happens when theres a quick change of captain right before a flight leaves (captain gets sick etc)? 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. A human can only jump so high and bow so low. AA probably did this not have to pay retirement, not far from reality!! Damn. Even if you applied in July, you will need to apply again October 1-10 to be considered for 2022 classes. He has even received a dui but the DMV and FAA dont talk and its an honor system for pilot to self report their DUIs. Quit. I bet he answers to 'David' when the barista has his latte ready. CRJ-Type Rating Bonus, $7,500 for pilots with qualified CRJ-type rating. Yes they pronounce the wrong name or said it wrong I think he knew it and just wanted to say hey they said the name wrong I'm leaving I'm going home to the hotel. name. He may have been wronged but I have no sympathy for his "destitute" sob story. Ingram, upset by the call, scheduled tests, including a blood test, that showed no alcohol or drugs were in his system, Mager wrote. I received a warning for this incident, even though I was clearly not on opiods! The U.S. rail company in the memo noted that many employees have expressed apprehension about getting a COVID-19 vaccine. 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? Typical American Airlines , a company badly managed, poor communication and a work force that receives no respect from its management. Yesterday was a great day for your union, wrote Ed Sicher, president of the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American pilots, said in an Oct. 20 message to pilots. Kyle Arnold is the aviation writer for The Dallas Morning News, covering airlines, air travel and the aerospace industry. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are stranded as the airlines and most media lie as to the reason. While this incident happened over two years ago, details are only now emerging, as this case is being heard in court, where Ingram is getting some vindication. Delta has told its pilots it plans to have them all back to flying status by October to get ready for a return to more normal operations. This is a misscarige of justice Shame on AA for not throughly looking into this so carelessly and now this man's career is ruined. I worked at AAL for 11 years. Their heads are thick as a brick. Nevertheless, Mager wrote, American requested that the FAA revoke his pilot licenses and aircraft ratings. United and American CEOs say they face a regional airline pilot crunch. So the union's hands were tied. Despite that, American Airlines fired him two months later, and the airline requested that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revoke his license. February 28, 2021 - Eulen is the preferred contractor that American Airlines utilized for many services from logistics and ground support to drug testing notification, despite its obviously lackluster performance., This fight will continue as APA shifts its focus to now assisting this pilot through representation in the pending wrongful termination grievance and by offering support in his civil court action, Sicher said. 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. Why would they asked the flight attendant and then leave her they said no he wasnt on the flight. American Airlines said Monday that it is ramping up staffingparticularly within flight operationsto make sure that the thousands of cancellations that happened over Halloween weekend wont happen again as people head home for the holidays. In one hospital, theyre putting in nurses aides in place of nurses. 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. Do I feel confident flying with someone with such poor judgement at control of the plane, definitely not. All airlines getting worse. The law states that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this site. I know of a pilot who worked for an airline and was selected for drug testing after an aborted take-off due to flaps not being set correctly. My FAA incident was long before I went there. I am not surprised this happened. Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe. Im not saying he is guilty of anything but not being Diligent. The companys more than 14,000 employees provide regional flight service to American Airlines under the American Eagle brand and livery and ground handling services for multiple airlines, including American. In one, a judge dismissed the FAAs case. Some really great made up time, money and more. An identity document with photo should also be used in an important case like the one described here. Hospitals are also at their breaking points. 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. While the two sides have met regularly over the past few months, APFA . As Ingram explains: That night was the end of all pay and benefits. Were you there? My FAA incident was long before I went there. Sounds a little too fishy on (THAT) part. March 1, 2021 - Starting February 23, 2021, United will resume interviewing eligible Aviate applicants from across our partner network: universities, flight schools, Part 135 operators and United Express carriers. Their heads are thick as a brick. Here's an analogy. Sooo disappointed. PSA Airlines Is Now Offering Pilots Up to $187,500 in Bonuses and Guaranteed Flow to American. Two American Airlines-owned regional carriers will hike pilot pay by 50% through the end of August 2024, the latest sign airlines are willing to pay up in hopes of ending a pilot shortage that has left some travelers with fewer flight options. to fulfillment of my lifelong dream of becoming an airline pilot," he said. His life finances have nothing to do with him being fired. Had I spent a dime on this matter would have played into this narcissistic individual vindictiveness. but rather should have given the tester time to check the paperwork and get it straightened out. They had to know who the pilot was that was to be tested. Maybe he was sick, or a family member was sick, and it cost a fortune cancer treatment, is upwards of 300k. Either he is really victimizing himself or he took terrible financial decisions in his life. The hard working people of America are being treated with no respect or dignity. Not sure they state the rank of the person on the testing order. The union has also complained that the companys scheduling strategy puts too many pilots on standby, nearly double the industry average. There are 3 checkmarks. All birthdays , Holidays, graduations missed in order to fulfil our job responsabilities. Why would the captain not pick up the phone when something like this just happened? I completely agree and that is exactly what I said. He exhausted his 401 k because he hadn't worked for over 2/3 years.I have a lot of sympathy for this gentleman,we could save forever and life gets in the way.Hope he gets all the money they owe him.Eulen lied and it caused this man to lose his livelihood Also he worked for 21 years. How could he write refusal if there wasnt one? Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. Do these contractors not have a box to check off if the captain isnt on the flight? I think AA failed to notify the pilot properly and clearly. Now Its Back, Replacing Russian Losses In Ukraine. As far as money , he could be one of those captains with 4 ex wives and 9 kids making $350K with no disposable income :)-. They should of made sure they were testing the right pilot! Yes they pronounce the wrong name or said it wrong I think he knew it and just wanted to say hey they said the name wrong I'm leaving I'm going home to the hotel. On March 1, Delta pilots approved a new contract that includes a 34% raise for the company's 15,000 pilots over four years, the airline and pilots' union said. I'm an FAA Airman too. November 8, 2021 - Major airlines are expected to hire more than 9,000 in 2022 according to FAPA.aero. After 21 years of service he surely knew the seriousness of the situation. The union said there were several more weekends in July and August where there continued to be problems. The airline intends to open the pilot application window soon with the aim of re-starting hiring that was frozen during the pandemic by July, provided passenger demand recovers, the spokeswoman said, confirming a report from sources. And that's what scares me. Its Dewitt, not Hewitt. The pilots union, along with the flight attendants union, has complained that problems at the airline this summer have made it difficult to get hotels, food and transportation for crew members during trips. It opened up by new ownership who bought the name. June 2022 - Piedmont and Envoy pilots will get 50% pay premiums through August 2024. Due to my license being on the line anytime someone said random test I always ask am I on the list. Employees will be required to submit proof of vaccination to Amtraks self-service portal. He just makes bad decisions. Its a massive sickout. I hope that the pilot does get a good settlement though. If this were reddit, it'd be an ETA from me. The union should also be sued for negligence! March 2, 2021 - We're ready, are you?! The rest of us have to suffer too. April 2021 - Were looking for highly qualified, motivated pilots who want to work for an airline that respects its employees, offers fantastic opportunities and is dedicated to making a difference. Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. 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 . There isn't a pilot's union that's worth a Damm at America Airlines. It's the dirtiest of business practices. Him running out of money 2 years from retirement, that is bad decision making. The pilot if he had nothing to hide should have taken the drug test. A UA sample has his written name and birthdate on the outside of the cup and reverified with a sheet choosing which patients are to be tested. Pilots are routinely administered random drug and alcohol tests. If the contractor went to that flight for a reason. If you are not the person they are asking for & notified them as so, then continued on your way. He should get what hes owed because he shouldnt have been fired, but not a dime more. The union didnt specify who exactly should be replaced but said it was below senior management. This time they will have to pay for their BIG mistakes.. That contractor guy should have waited to talk to the pilot so he can confirm for himself if the pilot was the one really randomly selected for the drug test, not just maliciously remarking that the pilot 'refused' to take the test, just blatant incompetence, hope he be fired for grave negligence.. He,should have ask to ask for ID to verify the name of the pilot. Ive lived in Miami long enough to have a decent guess of what actually happened here. In August 2020, an American Airlines pilot was approached by a contractor to take a drug test. Bias treatment of workers, no unity. August 2021 - Our pilots share a passion for safety, customer service and caring for their crews. Nothing about this was the pilots fault. Pilots and flight attendants at Dallas-based Southwest Airlines have complained of similar issues. I would not have just kept walking. (Photo: Al Drago) O n a Friday-morning flight from Houston to Albuquerque, a Southwest Airlines pilot . The main problem with the testing is You are presumed Guilty, until You provide the urine to prove Your innocence! The contractor is at fault!! A memo from Chief of Operations John Laughter says details will be unveiled March 5 and COVID-19-idled pilots can expect a busy summer of training and refreshers. He was terminated without cause. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart / Getty Images) The airline says the. Its been a long dark hole in the ground prison - alone and told repeatedly to never tell anyone so as to protect me.. Also, how was the union not able to do something to help? Please double-check the required fields below. Pilot shortage forces American Airlines to cancel 303 flights over weekend: 3,000 MORE could be axed in July after pilots were fired at the start of pandemic and not enough have been rehired The Allied Pilots Association says about 30% of American's 14,000 pilots have not gotten shots and warns that mass terminations of unvaccinated pilots could lead to a severe shortage of. American Airlines is also in the middle of negotiations with pilots over a new contract. Looking ahead, were preparing to potentially build back to 2019 levels of flying by summer 2023, he wrote. This is one of those situations where you almost have to wonder if theres more to the story thats not known. An additional identifying detail usually asked from a person who is asked to submit to a blood test is the date of birth. Ill bet they even took the company match from his 401k which is common. Its rather unsettling there are so few comments like this one, which nails it 100%. Furthermore, a judge is allowing his lawsuit to proceed in order to get compensation, as he is suing both American Airlines and Eulen America, the company that performed the drug test. Alleged negative voice mails are nothing more than harassment. What kind of life he was living? United announced its vaccine . A judge ruled that the FAA illegally revoked his license, and he can now proceed with suing both the airline and the company behind the drug test. The contract worker performing the test had allegedly marked him as having refused to take the test. After 40 years working no savings or anything ? Random testing is way out of controll. After the FAA presented its case, APA special counsel Sue Edwards made a motion to dismiss the case based upon the lack of credible factual evidence produced by the FAA, Sicher said. The FAA never contacted My CFI, never did a background check or contacted the flight MD who issued my medical license. Eulen America should never ask a flight attendant for a "David". Avelo Airlines on Thursday announced a significant raise for its pilots, becoming the fourth U.S. carrier in just two months to take action in an effort to attract more pilots The move comes two weeks after Avelo announced it had raised $42 million in a Series B funding round. The powers that be can always hire the same people that they suggest can now be brain surgeons, engineers, etc.. Print. Unable to work in his profession, he spent his life savings. My brother had achieve his commercial pilot's license and when my father passed away, I had taken my portion of our inheritance to get both my son and I a private pilot's license. Maybe if the contractor's mistake is not asking for dimwit to take the test. Maybe if the contractor's mistake is not asking for dimwit to take the test. Southwest has canceled 1800 flights nationwide. Our pilots are safety conscious and customer oriented. As several U.S. airlines announcerequirements for all employees to be vaccinated, Amtrak has announced a similar policy. 22 years flying for the Airline I indicated a professional experience Pilot. Amtrak is wholly reliant on the government to survive. Pilots at American Airlines are pushing back against the Biden Administration vaccine mandate, demanding exemptions and warning the vaccine mandate will lead to travel disruptions. They get a couple of hours of pay. Southwest Airlines pilots perform a check in a 737 aircraft before a flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Washington. 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. Alleged negative voice mails are nothing An airline pilot that burned thru an alleged 401k in 2 yrs & had to sell off stock & autos to "survive"? Wrong in all the way this was handled.