And the baggage handlers/rampers and the mechanics, and the fuelers, and everyone else that has access to the aircraft but doesn't have to go through the security apparat except us crewmembers.

My retirement flight cancelled,I dead-headed the night before. The next day the C/P said" flaps" is coming from SNA for his F/D shower... Crew sked said" naw, his Jepps were on the counter this morning wrapped with a yellow ribbon and his uniform is hanging in the middle of the crew lounge.we think he is gone". My plaque sat in the C/P's office for two years...Talk about a bad attitude.

Nothing wrong with going out like that. When my dad retired from NWA
He didn't like the DC10 bid pack that month and said "thats it". Turned in his papers. Never told anyone. His family didn't know for 2 weeks.

Heard a good story of a Delta captain that was a few months away from retiring and was just starting a trip in ATL. There were long delays and after an hour of waiting in line he turns to his FO and says tell ground we need to go back to the gate. The FO asks why, but he just repeats that they need to go back to the gate. Once they get back and he sets the parking brake he says, that's it, I'm done and am going home.

That's awesome!

I heard a similar story about an Eastern 727 Capt. in MIA, back when Lorenzo was taking them over.

BUT...this story goes; he set the parking brake while still in the line up, got up, got his stuff, walked to the back of the plane, dropped the aft air-stairs, and walked away, across the taxiway, to his car in the parking lot by the hanger.

The Eastern story is true..what a guy...

I applaud the head-work....very efficient.

The capt that shut the engines down for 3 minutes of wings and tail deicing.

....some stations aren't engines running deice approved....

GFK is an ERD station

I agree in general, no point in confrontation for the sake of confrontation... unless you don't mind a breathalyzer, a 100 panel drug test, and a blood draw. Then, they might believe that you are not intoxicated in any way, that you were just "clumsy" that day.

But does kow-towing to the TSA in every way make life better? The squeaky wheel gets the grease, like known-crewmember access and the like.

If there was any efficiency in the process at all, we'd have all had biometric ID's mailed to us within 6 months of 9-11 that can open any door in our system, and get is through airport security unscathed. AND, we'd have gotten trusted traveler as well.

I like this story--hopefully it is true. Back in the pre cell phone era, there supposedly was a fairly senior captain who was on a trip, and his wife wanted to get hold of him. She calls the Chief Pilot's office to ask what hotel he was staying at. Their answer was "he has been retired for three years!"

Legend has it the ALL ATP founders quit during a sim at FedEx recurrent training. Love the story--maybe someone else can confirm the details.

This captain/crew deserve special recognition...
Marine double-amputee’s treatment on Delta flight angers other vets

The crewmembers responsible for this treatment should be very ashamed and be outed to the public. Not sure if the Captain knew but the FA should be punished, would have saved time to let the people in first switch places. I have swapped seating military servicemen coming back from deployment no problem.

Everyone is quick to always demonize the offending party anytime anything happens to a soldier/vet, but this time I'm going to go ahead and side with the airline.

This guy had a 104F fever. He shouldn't have been flying. That probably made the experience 10x worse for him and everyone else involved.

His main complaint was that he had to ride in a wheel chair to the back of the plane in front of all the other passengers. We all know that wheelchairs are boarded first, so something happened where it didn't occur in this case. You and I both know that "something" probably was that he didn't show up to the gate on time.

His secondary complaint was that he wasn't moved to first class. Give me a break. What seat did the ticket you bought have printed on it? Its a nice gesture to be offered first class but it shouldn't be expected and shouldn't be complained about when not given. Plus, this was done after doors closed. Little hard to move a double amputee with dignity from one end of the plane to the other... again... without support from ground crew.


I'm thankful for this man's service to our country, but in this circumstance... Delta isn't the evil-doer they're being made out to be.

Since they had to wheel thru first and people offered to let him take their seat it would have been faster to let them switch. I know what probably happened his connecting flight was late not his fault!!! Why so quick to throw him under the bus?

I'm "throwing him under the bus" because... when you look at this from the point of view of someone who understands how these things work, it doesn't look like the airline did anything wrong. Its always a tough situation when there is a disabled passenger and the airline and crews do their best. Airliners just aren't designed to be easy in this regard.

What we do have is someone who is flying with a fever at a level where he should've been in an ER, not an airplane. Everyone knows that when you're that sick... even the most minor discomfort seems like hell. And then he proceeded to complain about what is industry accepted practice for airlines and that he wasn't given a first class seat. And then we all find out about it in an article that is 1/10th about the actual event and 9/10ths meant to stir emotion.

Three sides to every story....as usual!

Since I am a Widebody Airline Captain I think I have a good grasp on what happens. I did not read he complained about a free upgrade but he was offered a seat by others. This was not just some disabled person he was DISABLED protecting the freedoms we as Americans enjoy and deserves better.

Why are you so quick to throw the crew under the bus?Oh,I'm sorry I forgot-the media is always right-must be the crew's fault.

OK my bad if someone did offer to switch seats then my statement stands. How often do we throw gate attendants under the bus because they make our deadheading harder?

I have been deadheading home trying to catch one of lifes moments that for everyone else is easy to catch and had crews go way out of their way to make sure I was comfortable. I have also made sure it happened for others on my flights, part of the job NO but should be done regardless. We should look out for each other as much as possible. Even though I did not serve I include the fine men and women who protect my freedoms by serving in the military especially one who lost so much.

This rests on management for hammering gate agents and FA's with on time departure nonsense. If you leave 5 minutes late but take care of you passengers, the pilots can more often than not make that time up.

Now, I don't know when the seats were offered. Were they offered right as he boarded or was he already in the back of the plane and the isle chair already gone? If it could have been done in a reasonable amount of time, it should have been done. If you were all buttoned up and ready to go, I'm sorry but the time to do it was 10 minutes ago.

I wouldn't be quick to throw the FA's under the bus as they are taking their orders from people who only look at performance numbers and aren't out there day to day taking care of and dealing with the passengers and probably fear they will be disciplined for taking a delay.

The gate agent last night who blocked the Deadheading Capt from sitting in a nice seat up front (long leg) because she saved it for her family member non reving

Is that allowed? If its known for a fact that's what happened, that agent could be in heap big trouble over that if tis followed up on.

I don't get it. He's disabled and felt bad that he boarded last, and couldn't get a first class seat? If he wanted a first class seat that badly, all he had to do was pay for it...:rolleyes:

I agree that it can be an uncomfortable experience to travel if you are disabled, but people do it all the time without crying.

Really? She mustn't travel very much:rolleyes:

I hope his plan was not to book a coach seat and show up fully expecting a FC upgrade. FC is almost always full anyway, so to show up, especially last minute, expecting to trade seats with someone already in FC and getting mad when it doesn't happen is pretty unreasonable. Blaming the airline in that situation is even more unfair. Flying with a major illness/fever (was it contageous?) just adds more guaranteed bad outcome to this.

If I was in FC I would have traded with him, and I think we do need to empower front line employees to take a few minutes to work out important issues over the all mighty D-0 so while we could have possibly handeled this better, it is very unreasonable to try and accuse DL of being anti veteran or whatever the thesis of that article was trying to do.

Why didn't they move him to FC after they were airborne with those that offered to switch? D+0 met, FAA regs met (door closed).

Methinks this is being blown out of proportion by the media and the Col (?) mentioned in the other thread with an agenda.

104F he should not have been flying in any seat - other than an air ambulance.

Was he even in uniform?

How would anyone know he's a Vet unless he was?

Sounds to me like he ended up sitting next to this one gal, in back, who later, found out he was a vet, and then she back filled the "Delta hates Vets" story enroute.

If he was in uniform, why didn't one of the F/C seat swappers swap with him as he went by, rather than wait until he was all the way in the back, or as mentioned above, swap after takeoff?

Flew with an Australian captain in the commuters who used to insist on making ALL p.a. announcements to the passengers because "passengers find my accent more comforting than your American accent."

Yet in fact, "Captain Kangaroo" once made an announcement after a precautionary landing due to a minor maintenance issue where he told the passengers, "Not to worry folks, because at no time were your lives in danger."

Best part was that it sounded like good ole Steve Irwin: "...at no toim wa yo loives in daaaaynga." I'm sure that was refreshing for Mr. Businessman to hear.

What a tool.

Pilots or flight attendants who loudly ***** about the airline, their coworkers, and the passengers while riding on a hotel bus that is full of passengers.

The guy at the gas station who was washing his CAR with a squeegee. Tizool.

Maynard James Keenan

What about this guy? I can't decide.

Ryan's Travels & Photos

Why would you say he's a tool?

Have you ever endured an interview with MJK? He really is a tool. A very talented one at that.

Yeah Seamus, why do you think I'm a tool? I'd like to know...

Maybe it's just me but this guy doesn't really seem that toolish.

Whew! Thanks mosteam. Almost thought I was about to enter the ranks of tools on APC :D Hey, I'm just a guy taking photos and reliving the moment. It will be good to remember when I'm furloughed at AA.