I was involved in a very similar incident a couple years ago. The ramper walked directly in front of the running engine and was nearly sucked in. He caught himself on the nacelle, and fell to the ground, but not before his hearing protection headphones were sucked off of his head and ingested by the engine. Later I got a scan of his hand written incident report and the man was almost illiterate. My second grade daughter writes at a much better level. Then I read the supervisors report, and it was only slightly better. In my opinion, they were not nearly smart enough to be working in a dangerous environment, or have any responsibility for multi million dollar equipment. If the airline had paid a couple dollars an hour more, they would have been able to attract an employee with at least enough literacy to learn and follow the safety protocols. My point is, that it is not always about the employees pride, or honor, or attitude. Sometimes it is about basic qualifications, and paying enough to get them.

That guy doesn't get, comparing the maintenance crew of the Blue Angels with the ground crew at a Regional airline? Good comparison. I'm sure the training footprints were very similar. You get what you pay for, he can ask not to have comments about pay but then please spare us of the comparison of a highly trained, well paid crew in the armed forces verses an airline ground crew where they have to hire every week to keep employees coming to work. This board gets more ridiculous by the day.

AMEN to what he said ! I did both so don't try to compare. Another case of you get what you pay for. I get really tired of the military guys on there high horse. Ya YA we get it you where in the military & you got free flight training. I did both MIL/CIV one is not better then the other I have flown with F18 drivers that would get scared in clouds. I have also flown with CIV pilots that suck too. So until you have had both MIL/CIV training please do not push the MIL vs CIL is better.
OK soapbox off switch is where exactly?

Compare the rampers to say Eau Claire, WI to say some major city big airport. Do you really think the EAU rampers are paid better? Better training? You can triple some people's wages and give them all the training in the world and you still may be unable to change their bad attitude.

First, you are comparing two different work markets, and what a certain pay rate buys in one is different than in another. Second, the point is to attract better people so that you have the option not to hire those people who are not able or willing to do a good job.

You're comparing highly trained military guys in a coveted role (working with the Blue Angels), to a guy making $8.00 an hour in DTW or some other major metropolitan area?

Not even close. If you couldn't tell the difference in that during a walk around in any city, you're crazy.

In an increasingly lazy society, a job is just a means to an end. "Do just enough to not get fired and keep collecting a paycheck" seems to be the motto these days. I see it more and more with regional pilots, which is alarming.

You have flown with FA18 guys who got scared in the clouds. I wonder how in the world they hand flew solo approaches to the boat at night in the darkest environment anywhere often to minimums or less. Strange they would get scared in the clouds.

Tell me about it, I & everyone else that flew with him was totally shocked. You cannot make this stuff up! He is no longer flying nice guy none the less.

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They weren't scared of the clouds, they were scared of the guy they were flying with...