ATLANTA (AP) - From inside the cockpit, Cal Flanigan watched Delta Air Lines grow over the decades from a Southern regional carrier to a global airline that assigned him to pilot its inaugural flights to Dubai and other cities worldwide.

Now, after 37 years, Delta's longest-serving pilot is hanging up his captain's stripes. Flanigan is turning 65, which is the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots.

LOCAL REPORT: Senior Delta pilot retires after grasping dream (The Atlanta Journal Constitution)

He landed his final flight - a Delta 777 widebody returning to Atlanta from Los Angeles - on Friday. His plane received a water-cannon salute and Flanigan was met by Delta employees with a celebration at the concourse gate at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

"It's a career that has exceeded my wildest dreams," Flanigan told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I've been preparing myself mentally for the last year, knowing it's coming and I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Flanigan first joined Delta as a mechanic 45 years ago, with hopes of one day flying. A year later, in 1969, he was drafted into the Army for two years. Using the GI Bill and money saved from his Delta wages, Flanigan managed to pay for pilot training at a time when few other African-Americans were flying commercial airliners. He realized his dream in 1976, when he became a first officer flying DC-9s for Delta.

Flanigan is retiring after 25 years as a captain and a record eight years as Delta's senior pilot.

Delta says Flanigan has logged more than 26,000 flight hours and flown roughly 12.5 million miles. He's landed at 95 destinations on six continents.

In a message to employees, Delta CEO Richard Anderson called Flanigan "a hero of mine at Delta."

"We are honored that you have been part of the Delta family for so many years," Anderson said.

Those he's retiring from commercial flying, Flanigan said he plans to keep his pilot license active and fly his own plane.

He's not the only one facing a big transition. At Delta, Flanigan has been senior flight instructor, line check airman and international chief pilot in Atlanta.

"He epitomizes the principles of servant leadership," said Steve Dickson, Delta's senior vice president of flight operations.

And in his 45 years at Delta, Flanigan never took a sick day.

 

Wow—Congratulations.

 

I guess no one ever explained to him that sick leave is an EARNED benefit. I sure hope DAL pays dollar for dollar what his sick leave was worth and that they don't have a cap on sick leave accrual.

Because if they don't/do, this guy wrote a huge check to Mama Delta the day he retired.

BTW, how many days did he fly when he was sick. No one has perfect health over the course of a 45 year career. I bet his F/Os loved him coming to work coughing and sneezing in the closed flight deck environment.

A real American hero.

 

This. Never calling in sick once over the course of 45 years is the absolute last thing I would brag about. Unless the guy has simply superhuman health, that's admitting to flying sick and encouraging others to do the same.

I mean, why does the guy even consider it a good thing? Does he have some farked up 19th century Dickensian value system where even legitimately use of sick time is cheating your employer?

Never met the guy and friends who have say he's a class act. But this shouldn't be held up as an example of model behavior by him, DAL management, or anyone else.

 

Since you are apparently a "mean" drunk, may I recommend coffee or orange juice in the morning.

 

Holly sh!t batman, after all this guys accomplishments this is what you come on to comment?

 

Most people who post here are completly strange. Anyone in any profession, who has perfect attendence at work, speaks about their integrity.

How anyone can look for a reason to post negative comments about something like this is the epitome of foolish. This man was #1 for EIGHT years on the list there. At least find some positive out of it. How about everyone just moved up one...maybe??

 

Yes - let's concentrate on the sick day useage rather than any of the following:
If I need a day off for being sick - I'm going to use a annual leave day before I use sick leave.
I'm going to bank my sick days. I do have a max annual allowed and I have no limit on sick.
At the end of a career, I can apply my sick towards retirement.
I don't know if the Captain is under a similar system or not, but it certainly isn't admitting to anything *illegal* if at the end of my career I hadn't used a sick day.

Some people's glass half empty just spilled and they need to find something wrong in everything.

 

I'm guessing Capt. Flanigan used HIS sick leave in a manner that HE saw fit. If he showed up to work fit for duty that's his business and not your or mine.

Congratulations Capt. Flanigan. Here's to wishing you and your family many years of happiness during your retirement!

 

Sick leave is use it or lose it. Poof, it's gone when you retire. It does not fall under another sort of leave.

I've got to say, that line about never calling in sick was the one thing that did strike me as strange. If someone does that on a 44 year career, they came to work sick at least once.

That being said, no one should use that to detract that from his incredible career. Cal is one of the nicest people that you'll ever meet, and I've never heard anyone say anything remotely negative about him. He's just that good of a guy.