Your work ethic is admirable, yes that's sarcasm. Sick leave is an earned benefit, that is true, however it is earned for the purpose of being able to take time off, with pay, when one is ill. Not as additional time off to be used if you don't get sick. Fortunately, some in this county still believe in not fraudulently using their sick leave, obviously you feel differently. Healthcare is an earned benefit as well, but I bet you don't check yourself into a hospital unnecessarily just to make sure you're using as much of your health coverage as possible.

On a more important note, congratulations to Captain Flanagan, I wish there was a way to bottle up your work ethic and share it with others.

 

I'm not saying he didn't have a noteworthy career worth commending. I've never met the guy, but he sounds like a standup dude.

My point is that there are many many like him out there and this is the first thread like this I've ever seen for an individual. What makes him stand out from all the others with truly noteworthy careers is that he spent 8 years at the top thanks to Age 65.

The only thing that shows is that if you win a lucky roll of the dice in the twlight of your career, and continue to hold onto that captain seat you should've had to give up much sooner, you can get a news article written about you.

There are a lot of great people out there. He sounds like one of them. But he isn't one of a kind. I haven't seen anyone commending those who got stuck at regionals, slaving away trying to support themselves (and their families) while being worked to death, because people like Captain Flanigan didn't retire.

 

Isn't being Number ONE kinda like being one of a kind?

GF

 

If you were in his shoes, would you have retired at 60, or stayed?

 

Are you kiddin'? Lolwut would have retired and publicly announced he was doing so for everyone's chance to move up one number. And called sick on the fini flight!

GF

 

The funny thing is I have dreamt of doing that exact thing many times. I like the way you think.

 

Is that why you said it wasn't noteworthy? And it was all luck? He was a tremendous leader at DL, and it just so happened that he retired at #1 after holding it for so long. He would have had news articles written about him regardless. Couldn't have happened to a better person... let him have his moment and honor his accomplishments.

 

My last sick call was for an emergency root-canal. But fear not, I've had that unethical tooth taught a lesson!

 

Pretty judgmental for someone with a whopping 4 posts. An airline's sick leave policy is a NEGOTIATED item.

That means, fyi, YOU had to give up something in your contract to get your sick leave policy. Now, if you choose not to use your EARNED benefits, like Capt. Flanigan did, then have at it.

But, lets imagine he had 1000 sick leave hours on the books and his hourly rate was $200 an hour. Then he wrote Delta a check for $200K the day he retired. That's $200K HE EARNED.

How you characterize a pilot exercising his earned benefits within the confines of his contract as doing so fraudulently has me scratching my head. But you do whatever suits you, Chief. Its a free country, after all.

All I can tell you is I'm not writing a $180K check to my airline when I retire. I'm using all my EARNED contractual benefits to make sure I don't miss the birth of my kids, their activities, their graduations, their marriages and the birth of my grandkids. If you choose to be stuck in your Albany layover hotel missing any or all of those events, have at it. Everyone has their value system, I guess.

But, if you choose to fly sick to protect your "perfect attendance" record, then your crew should organize a blanket party for you. We had a guy like that. Flew sick all the time, but refused to use his sick leave. He made a lot of no-fly lists.

 

Unethical and FRAUDULENT tooth!