msduckslyr

I flew with a Captain Saturday morning that was obviously sick... coughing, runny nose, and complained he had a very bad headache at cruise. I asked why he was flying sick, and he said he wasn't that sick. He also said he was saving as much of his sick time as possible for the rest of the year to get it into his disability bank because he was retiring in 2017.

I sure wish I would have noticed he was sicker than he appeared at the folder, because now I have a 102 degree fever, cough, headache, and runny nose. Oh, and I just had to call in sick for my 30 hour trip this week.

Thanks Captain Douche! In the words of Cris Carter, "Come on man!"

Can we expect more of this kind of crap if this TA passes?

FDXLAG

No about the same.

kc10/c130

That is nothing new. I've flown with many a crewmember who said they were sick but did not want to call in due to (fill in the blank). I see no reason to even try to carry my A$$ around the world while even the least bit ill'n. That is just me though.

DLax85

Just looking for honesty...and consistency

So, if you increase the economic incentive for a particular behavior, you won't see any change in the amount of that behavior...??

Please post a reference from your economics textbook that explains this theory

And if true, why are you (& others) concerned more pilots will fly draft this peak at 150% if the TA is voted down?

Is this new economic theory consistent?

Busboy

Absolutely, no doubt!

busdriver12

I do think there will be more flying while sick, or borderline sick, if this TA passes. There is often the judgment call of feeling a little off, taking the trip anyways, and then it turning into something worse on the trip. The personal push to just finish the trip instead of calling in sick in the field will be incentivized by the SLB issue for some.

However, I don't know that you can necessarily blame your captain for getting sick. You have no idea of whomever else might have made you sick. A food server, a touch on a doorknob, anyone coughing. Unless you were wearing gloves and a full facemask the entire time you weren't in the cockpit, you really don't know. That's a fairly short incubation period.

I hope you get better soon, and don't infect your family. But this sounds like the flu, you know. Consider seeing your doctor ASAP, because if he or she gives you Tamiflu (within two days of symptoms), it can shorten the duration of your misery. I've heard it really works. Okay, think I'm going to get a flu shot today!

azoomietheist

What would you propose in lieu of the SLB?

If senior widebody captains burn their hours at full pay and take the last 1-2 years mostly off, how long do you think the sick leave would stay intact?

FDXer

It's amazing the lack of integrity people have to convince the masses to vote one way or another.

Busboy

We could start with not deducting sick leave used during their final 2 years from the income used to calculate their over $520K for the SLB calculation.

DLax85

What do you mean by "...the sick leave would stay intact"

(Relevant side note: I think pilots should call in sick when they deem themselves unfit to fly throughout their entire career --- the beginning, the middle and the end. Sick leave should be used for being sick, not a backdoor way for guys to just fly more, more, more at straight pay. Of course, YOMV)