Despite the horrid things that ALPA has supported as of late [the FDA LOA, and the Organized Armed Robbery commonly known as the retirement age change], I still support my union. AOPA is a group that I like, but I don't pay them money to be a member since I think it is a waste of money. They have an insurance plan that protected one of my friends back at Express One International, however. Sean taxxied a 727 out of the blocks in Luton, England one night. The loaders didn't do their job- they left a bunch of "butlocks" up accidetly, and one of the cargo cans shifted. It moved one place.

-That was enough to get Sean violated by the FAA!

RIDICULOUS! But when have you known the FAA to act reasonably? Anyway, he got called in and he called the AOPA law group about his problem. AOPA sent him an attorney, and get this: Express One wasn't expecting him...

Sean walks in wearing his suit, and right behind him is his attorney. He's greeted by the VP of operations, a disgusting Eastern scab of an individual who's name is Spencer [Skip] Spence. Skip was taken aback: "Who's this?" he said. Sean quietly said "This is my attorney, he will be with us throughout all of this."

It got real quiet for a few seconds.

Skip, the smelly pig, suddenly became white. A scab is scared only by attorneys, and this one nearly made him poop his pants, a common problem for these animals. Skip told Sean to wait in the lobby of the company for a few minutes, they would call him when they needed him. Sean was concerned about the farm-animal smell in the lobby, but the goat-odor didn't become too bad in the short time he spent there.

-They were going to HANG Sean! They intended to call in the FAA and tell them that "this stupid pilot didn't monitor his airplane enough...he's a complete idiot, we don't know why we hired him...we're going to FIRE him. Can you please not fine us? WE are going to do a better job in the future of informing our pilots...

You get the idea. They wanted to f*ck Sean, in order to save a fine.

AH HAH! That DIDN'T happen! Sean's attorney apparently scared them off. They settled with the FAA differently, and told Sean to go home that day.

Sean paid that attorney about $1800; my understanding is that it would probably have been around $6000 if he had not been with AOPA.....

You decide. Is it worth it?

N!