First of all Topper do you think missing two trips and being insubordinate is a stupid reason for being terminated? Do you realize the cost to the company? You only heard his side of the story. You know there are three sides to every story... the plaintiff's, the company's and the truth.

Anyway missing one trip??? it happens. Missing two trips… learn from the first time you missed a trip. Refusing to complete a dead head even if permission was requested and denied??? Insubordination!

The best your friend can hope for is that can go back to his previous employer and change his termination to a resignation. Your friend may have been offered the option of being terminated or resigning. Some states will allow terminated employed to collect unemployment, if they were terminated.

Under the pilot records improvement act, airlines are required to share complete training records only. As far as employment verification goes a previous employer can only indicate his/her period of employment with a notation of voluntary resignation by the employee, or termination of employment by the company without details.

The facts of life can be brutal to one's career regardless of the pilot record improvement act. Chief pilots from airlines usually know each other and sometimes make phone calls as to what really happened to who ever.


Hopefully if your friend wakes up and gets his act together and gets a second chance he won't screw it up.