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Old 01-20-2021, 11:57 AM
  #12  
JT400
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Joined APC: Aug 2011
Position: Former AF and ANG, 747-400 FO, 767 CA
Posts: 65
Default Garbage of a Book

Don’t waste a penny on this pure fiction junk of a book called "The HIMS Nightmare". This book is written by a spoiled, narcissistic adult-child in his early 60’s who didn’t get his way and is now disgruntled about it because HE [not the HIMS program] got HIS wings temporarily clipped because HE has a problem with alcohol. This “author” spends the entire book throwing an adult temper tantrum because the FAA guided HIMS program wasn’t what HE wanted it to be. The book is nothing more than a collection of lies and conspiracy theories as well as claims of “false positives” on drug/alcohol screens and claims that the HIMS program is antiquated and doesn’t work. Each and every one of his lies and self-concocted conspiracy theories can be disproven. Rest assured that the FAA is going to make absolute sure that an alcoholic pilot is going to be in recovery and completely sober before putting the general public at risk. You as the flying public putting your lives in the hands of FAA certified pilots would and should expect nothing less and demand this.

In the book, he makes the irresponsible and unfounded claim that the HIMS program is for the airline, not the pilot or safety of the flying public. Simply not true. Only a self-serving, alcoholic thinking, “I am the Captain” type would come up with such a universally irresponsible vivid collection of fabricated fantasies about a time-tested program that works and has been working for decades. He tries to impress you with some irrelevant war stories about when he exercised his “Captain’s authority” during his career as a 737 Captain. It’s irrelevant and you know what, NOBODY GIVES A DAMN, CAPTAIN. His ego is disgustingly off the charts implying in so many words that it [big ego] is a part of the job. Bull****. He continues to whine like the little victim he claims to be, complaining about his 28-days in rehab as if he were imprisoned in a concentration camp. Really? You’re whining about 28 days? And one should raise holy hell if 2 days get added to make it 30. Most rehabs are 90 days you spoiled moron. He comes up with these crazy conspiracy theories that everyone’s watching and everyone’s listening so “don’t say anything” lest it be used against you. He also comes up with some astronomical numbers comparing his recovery process to how much it costs to replace him and train a new pilot. His numbers spent by the company in his recovery are wildly inflated. I ran the numbers for what my company spent for my rehabilitation and you sir are on another planet. What did you fly, the space shuttle? You’re simply NOT that valuable. Don’t flatter yourself.

The author clearly thinks he’s smarter than the over 700 active, certified FAA Aviation Medical Examiners (AME’s), psychiatrists, and psychologists AND pilots who run the HIMS program. He rants as if the HIMS program is some giant conspiracy theory, laughably comparing it to the hierarchy of the Catholic church and how the church knew but kept quiet about priests abusing children long before it actually came to light, calling the HIMS program an “institutional conspiracy”. Really Randle? You do know the earth is round as well and that we really did go to the moon, right? What he fails to mention, is that the [HIMS] program has helped save over 14,000 pilots since its inception over 45 years ago. But he leaves that piece of important information out of his tantrum.

Throughout the book and in order to facilitate his lies, he has cherry-picked certain studies to disprove, discount and discredit Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Twelve Step Facilitation (TSF) programs, despite the fact that thousands of evidence-based studies clearly prove otherwise and have for many decades now. He spends an entire chapter trying to debunk and discredit the work that AA has done for decades back to before he was in diapers, again cherry-picking a few meek studies and articles that criticize the success of AA. I can go into Google Scholar and find articles about anything on the planet that criticizes ANYTHING I want to fit my narrative and agenda. This is precisely what he has done in chapter 5. The bottom line is that AA works and has been working since long before YOU came around. But as you know, it only works if one is willing to put the work into it, unless of course you have a self-centered ego like this author does. This self-proclaimed expert about the HIMS program and AA is also clearly confused about the difference between faith and religion. AA and TSF therapies have NOTHING to do with organized religion. They have everything to do with faith in something other than your alcoholic self. Much needed as it still appears for this author, given how highly he thinks of himself with his “I’m the Captain” and “I’m in control” ego. This ego maniac even goes as far as claiming that Alcoholics Anonymous is a cult because it doesn’t fit HIS narrative of what recovery should be. Bottom line: don’t waste your money or time on this garbage of a book. It’s nothing more than a temper tantrum of lies.



B767 Captain (Current)

Graduate Student-Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies (Current)

22-year AF Pilot (Retired)
Sober since Oct 2013

Last edited by JT400; 01-20-2021 at 12:16 PM.
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