Extremely sorry for asking a question whose answer may be deemed "sensitive" - please don't respond to it. Perhaps a better way, less sensitive question would be "Are steps in place, since Calloway and 9-11, to more carefully restrict jumpseat access?" A "yes" or "no" would suffice - and sorry again.

Regardless of the CBA, if someone is under enough suspicion to even be asked "a few questions", my opinion is that the individual should be removed from the line immediately - with pay - until the situation is cleared up in a formal manner. This suspension would not result in any loss of income to the pilot/crew member therefore the pilot group (ALPA, APA, or other union) should have no problem with it.

That's a great concept, but it's just not that easy. And yes, there are measures in place.

It is wonderful to know that Bigots and Racists are still alive and well among airline pilots!!!

I suppose your definition means that those who know and speak the TRUTH are thus defined?

I will bet you don't have one clue about what this is all about, do you? Easy to name call, when you are ignorant of the facts.

captain_drew...I'm thinking you might have take SEGATAKI's comment out of context...

CargoBob's original comment was:

Is that what you meant to defend? I hope not, and I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. Just wondering...

Having been the blatant victim (on a couple of occasions) of 'Affirmative Action', where MUCH lesser qualified (some unqualified, like Auburn) people were hired ahead of qualified ones, due to thier 'minority' status, I take exception to anyone who mistakenly thinks 'AA' is a good thing.

Drew, I truly respect most of your views. But I think you're missing the point here.

My original post calling out CargoBob and C175 had nothing to do with "AA ". It had to do with racist comments (as did SEGATAKI's post). Now whether they realized what they were saying is another topic...ignorance or true feelings...but I digress...

CargoBob's post implied that Calloway attacked the crew simply because he was black, hired under a "minority quota". Do you really believe that?

Calloway attacked a FedEx crew because he was caught in blatant lies, and wanted to punish those who caught him. NOT because he was a minority...NOT because he was hired under some Affirmative Action/minority quota policy.

CargoBob's post implied that FedEx shouldn't hire any minorities...you know how unstable THEY can be. Any one of them will take a crash axe to another crew at anytime...God forbid.

Is that the view you wanted to defend?

Well. .the short answer is . . yeah !

You have to understand the specific history of Calloway. He WAS the poster child for Affirmative Action, 'set asides' and special treatment. . . his whole life. He only got as far as he did BECAUSE he was a minority. . . .NOT because he had any special gift -or was all that smart or gifted. He felt entitled to special treatment . .because up until that point . .he had always gotten it. . . HOW DARE FedEx hold him up to some sort of standard he was never required to live up to previously!

"AA" got him into Stanford, when non-minorities -a whole hell of a lot more intelligent than him were 'stiffed'. If he were a white guy, he wouldn't have got into San Diego State!

Stanford, if you are not aware, does not 'grade' students . . . so you get through their program with a degree, based upon how they 'feel' about you. And. . WOE to any professor who did not 'feel' good about a minority. So he is standing there with a degree in his hand, just about the time Naval Aviation has a major push on to get minority pilots into the ranks.

I have never heard about his performance through Flight Training, but knowing how they lowered the bar when they wanted women pilots, I can guess. I picked up the story after his crime, when I had a chance to talk to a couple of his squadron mates at his VS Fleet Squadron. They were aghast that he EVER got an airline job.

The people hiring him at both Tigers and FedEx apparently never checked his credentials or talked to anybody in the Navy. The PIC time he had to list on his application was obviously bogus, as he NEVER was allowed to upgrade to Aircraft Commander in the Navy.

He FINALLY got to a place where the advancement was not automatic, due to Liberal pressure. Fortunately, the CO, XO and NATOPS listened to the Aircraft Commanders he flew with, who gave him the collective ‘thumbs down’ on upgrade. He, apparently, could not keep the S-3 straight and level and had no situational awareness. He was the only JO in squadron history who did not advance to Aircraft Commander by the end of his 1st tour.

So, knowing all the history I do, I take exception to your comment. He would not have even been on the property had not someone been pushing “quotas”. Someone did not do their job in checking his background, where I know they checked MY references.

My college ‘little brother’ happens to be of the black persuasion. He is a senior captain at FedEx, nearing retirement. He followed me into the Navy, after I visited campus in uniform, with fresh wings.

He has EXCELLED . . all along the way, because he was smart and competent . .NOT because he was using the system. He did a tour in Nam as an NFO . .and was then able to pass the physical for pilot and went through the program again and did another tour as a pilot. It is guys like my friend who really get frosted at “AA”, because it lets incompetents into places where they otherwise would not make the grade and casts a shadow on the bone fide accomplishments of competent minorities.

An old Reserves XO of mine (an American Airlines guy that transitioned from S-3s to the Mighty Orion!!:D ) was in the RAG the same time Auburn was. He said Auburn was half way through the RAG when he got there and he was still there, not much beyond halfway complete, when he left for his fleet sqdn!