Originally Posted by
CAAC ATP
I am not sure if it is true or not, but I have read posts that elude to the fact that you are involved with ALPA. If that is the case, how in the world can you post something that says or eludes to flight cancellations being due to pilot sick calls? Really? Who do you represent? This is abhorred, unacceptable... I can't think of any other forum appropriate adjectives that describe my ire.
He's not an alpa person anymore than you and I.
He's got friends that tell him data which is typically correct, but when he goes to interpret/extrapolate it, it's mostly wrong.
Data point from sailing most other years weve been a bit short but have been able to cover the flying without bunches of cancellations. Correct.
Extrapolation into this year (where we are verifiably considerably shorter than other years): It'll be fine and get covered. Wrong.
Another data point: People called in sick after assignment. Probably happened.
Extrapolation error: That must have caused the cancellations.
Wrong again. A couple very possibly were. There are always a couple of cases with people calling in sick after assignment, with a probable rise of "false" sick calls each holiday. I had to call in after assignment last January. Those calls were not anywhere near the totality of the cancellations this time, though.
The fact is that we were staffed wrong for a variety of reasons.