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I have to chime in on this one......

I was/am one of the CAL guys who had at least 2 of the issues mentioned in the lawsuit.

I MIL leave at my leisure to get the time off that I need to perform military duty. I even MIL LOA my airline job so that I had Thanksgiving, Christmas, and new years off from my airline job.

I'll have you know that my Military duty took me to Iraq/ Afghanistan over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and new years. I was delivering 500# packages to the taliban (sts). They deserved every effing ounce. I wont go on about the several TDY's that seem to appear every 3 months or so where I will be on orders here or there.

If you think you have walked a mile in a MIL pilots shoes, you are wrong. If you have walked a mile in a mil pilots shoes post nam and pre 2003, you have no idea what the current ops tempo is like.

If you want to discuss what your problems are regarding MIL pilots on LOA, I'll be more than willing to educate you on the modern day military pilot. I think AXLF16 will be with me.

If airline MGT has issues with MIL LOA, then maybe a well written letter to their senator informing them of their displeasure with the fact that we are a nation at WAR, and we didn't ask for it, and that it is interfering with the airline ops. I don't care about people who think this is an issue. Get over it. We are at WAR! there are Americans dying on the battlefield. Sorry if we interrupt your Lindsay jail time programming.

rant over -W-

ps- I'm on MIL LOA right now!

Quote:

Originally Posted by AxlF16 (Post 856651)

Are you this firm in your convictions when it comes to contract compliance? If you knew me, you would probably also think that I hide behind my contract and sharpshoot that system as well.:rolleyes:

Honest question. Are you veteran, and if so did you serve in the reserves concurrent with your airline employment?

Thanks for thanking me for my service:)

Yes, I am a Vietnam Veteran and did not serve in the reserves concurrent with Airline employment.
Please step off your exaulted soap box and know that the jig is up. You remind me of the cop in the Humphry Bogart movie Casablanca which took place in Algiers(I think) during WW2, who said "I'm shocked, at what you are saying"
YOU may not know of any abuses but most of the pilots who have to cover the MIL Leave sharpshooters know your strategy well. Clean up your act and fly straight and you will avoid cranks like me

Quote:

Originally Posted by bearcat (Post 856769)

Sound of 2 violins playing "Whoa is me".....Just a few points. YOU volunteered for the reserves. After I fought in Vietnam, I CHOSE NOT to joint the reserves. Federal law allows Military Rsv's to sharpshoot the system. If you want to attend your reserve duty; use your seniorty to do it..NOT mine!
Anyone else want to lob in a few grenades before they lock the thread?????????????

Quote:

Originally Posted by krudawg (Post 857329)

The jig is up?:rolleyes: My soap box? Look krudawg, I'm not going to banter with you on this forum since you are firmly entrenched in your opinion. If you'd like to continue this 'discussion' on the UAL forum (where our posts have our actual names) them I'd be more than happy to do that. Honestly, it looks like you're so bent over this that you wouldn't mind signing your name! I do find it interesting that a Vietnam era pilot has CURRENT military reservists impacting them at UAL? Heck, I'm a senior Lt Col and I was born DURING Vietnam.

Oh, and 'clean up my act and fly straight'? Sorry, but I don't need advice from a nameless avatar. You're a real charmer:rolleyes:

Quote:

Anyone else want to lob in a few grenades before they lock the thread?????????????

No, you're doing just fine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by krudawg (Post 857332)

...use your seniorty to do it..NOT mine!
Anyone else want to lob in a few grenades before they lock the thread?????????????

I understand there is much frustration with QOL scheduling issues, but the gun sight is definitely on the wrong target. Lets put the heat where it belongs. It is way past time for some QOL improvements and added job security. I am hopeful for some big JCBA contract improvements.

I want to point out those serving in the reserves actually increase our staffing levels.

Having experienced flying for both reserves and airlines (only lasted a little over a year), I found it was very tough on the family and big hit to overall QOL. Two uniforms, aircraft types, commutes, schedules, jobs, and of course deployments. If there is some benefit to their airline schedule to make it work for them, then great!

If one of us has to work on a day we are on reserve, because they got it off - Well that is why we have reserve staffing. Will we start to get angry at those who get sick or injured as well?

All the best to those who can manage to do both, and hope you get as many breaks as possible!

SP

The story I found below is interesting;

In an experiment, two pigeons were placed in a cage. One of them was tethered to the back of the cage while the other was free to run about as it wished. Every 30 seconds, a hopper would provide a small amount of food. The free pigeon could reach the food but the tethered one could not, and the free pigeon happily ate all the food every time. After an hour or so of this, the hopper stops providing food. The free pigeon continues to check the hopper every 30 seconds, but when it's clear that the food isn't coming, it will go to the back of the cage and beat up the other pigeon. Now, the interesting thing is that the tethered pigeon has never eaten the food and the free pigeon has no reason to think the other is responsible for the food stopping. The frustration is irrational, but real nonetheless.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SONORA PASS (Post 857489)

That was no grenade but coming from someone who actually tried the reserve option and in the end found that it interfered with your QQL is an excellent perspective. Your story about the pigeons, while off the mark made me smile. I kept asking myself what sadistic person would tie up a pigeon in the first place. Maybe someone who wanted to watch how one reacts to a total unfair situation while the other gorges himself on food. My question is why didn't the pigeon feed the tethered pigeon....Maybe because he could have cared less about the poor guy tethered to his contract. Hmm...
For all of us, who have fought wars for this great country, I salute you and want to say there is a special place in heaven for those of us who have stood in the fires of hell.

Quote:

Originally Posted by krudawg (Post 857737)

I kept asking myself what sadistic person would tie up a pigeon in the first place.

Probably friends with the same guy who has a bell & a dog.....some 'cat' named Pavlov ;)

Easy solution to this problem. The airlines have seen the fraud and abuse of ML. Perhaps in the future they won't hire as many MIL pilots. With a large cache of qualified regional pilots already working in the airline world it would make sense. This will help reduce training time as MIL pilots have to learn a new way of flying. In effect all the abuse to the ML system that takes place today will make it harder on your buddies later. But then again you guys are an "army of one".

I do have one question. Heard a "reach" flight in euro airspace recently. Why do those guys sound ao panicked/scared on the radio? The octave level sounds like a crash is imminent.

L

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lambourne (Post 857896)

I do have one question. Heard a "reach" flight in euro airspace recently. Why do those guys sound ao panicked/scared on the radio? The octave level sounds like a crash is imminent.

L

a Reach callsign doesn't guarantee that its a military flight... i.e a C-17, C-5, etc. It could have been Omni, Evergreen, Atlas or any number of different operators. But since you are a 767 Captain, you probably knew that.