Originally Posted by
rickair7777
Unless an actual law was broken, the chain of command can legitimately authorize/direct almost any deviation from military policy.
Both military and airlines have strict zero-tolerance drug abuse policies...
If an airline directed it's pilots to take amphetamines to allow them to work longer days during a weather crisis, we would all be astounded, congress would investigate, the FBI would arrest people, and the FAA would ground the airline.
The military, despite THEIR zero-tolerance, will turn around and do exactly that.
One of the unique things about civilian piloting is that the pilot is sort an independent contractor. He is paid to fly by the company, but he also has a duty to comply with/enforce FAA regs...even if the company says otherwise. This can frequently put you between a rock and hard place in 91, 135, and low-end 121. It's a fine line sometimes.
As a civilian pilot we serve two “Gods”, the corporation that pays our salaries and the flying public, who trust us to keep them safe and the FAA who gives us our licenses.
It’s this inherent conflict that makes having a Union especially important. Also, having a real “just” safety culture is very important also.
A union will act like a professional mediary to help keep each side from firing you. At most places with Unions, the Union is pretty deeply entrenched into the day to day operation of the airline or company. From my experience, the most pro-business employees of an airline or flight department are the pilots. Even corporations have figured out that there’s more money to be made by running a SAFE and LEGAL operation vs always crossing the line. Non-union places require you, at the end of the day, to have to be willing to quit before you knowingly violate the law. Even by 10lbs.
The hardest thing military pilots have to do when they enter into civilian flying gigs is to get rid of the “can do” attitude and replace it with a “should do” attitude. Should I do this? Is it safe? Legal? Is it contractural and/or in compliance with company SOP? If you’re always being pushed to the edge with things you really owe it to yourself to take a good long look at where you’re working and think about getting a job someplace else - before you end up stepping on your own dick and losing your licenses…. The Chief Pilot and managers will keep their jobs, you won’t.
My opinion only…