Fuel Skool

[ussnark]

We now have the data, thank you Mr. Parker. It confirms our presupposition that no consideration was given for our Captains exercising good judgment. Environmental or other operational requirements were not considered. Not the weather, nor real time delays, nor sleet, nor rain, nor snow, nor gloom of night were given any consideration in the now infamous “Captains Added Fuel Report.â€

Here’s a synopsis of the report. Bob flew 100 flights and requested additional fuel on five of those flights. Bob requested fuel 5% of the time. That’s it, that’s all there is.

In fact, the report itself is so innocuous that one becomes suspicious of the motive driving Management’s request to utilize a multi-million dollar training facility, to ask a Captain why he requested additional fuel more often than his peers, when a ten cent phone call would have worked just fine. Even more disturbing is the Director of Flight Training’s granting of that request.

We all know what happens if you tie stones to a witch and throw her in the river. If she floats, then she is truly a witch. If she sinks and drowns, then no one should think her a witch. This Management philosophy sent a clear and powerful message to the populace: don’t you dare do anything that would allow us to accuse you of witchcraft.

If the great inquisitor had run an airline, perhaps he would have tied rocks to the pilots and thrown them in “the box.†If they arrive at their destination with surplus fuel then truly they are a witch. If the pilot comes up short and begins to sink, they have nothing to fear; at least no one will think them a witch. This is the management philosophy of the Dark Ages. It’s time for the Reformation.

Mainly for those who cannot access the union website and want to follow the bouncing ball..... I wonder if someone could ensure publication in a widely read newspaper, just to make certain everyone is on the same page.

Seems to me this entire fiasco was contrived to give a black-eye to the new union. Well done, union guys, for leaving the company with the black-eye, as they well deserve. Now, every person that participated with the company (including attorneys?) should resign or be fired. It would also be nice to have a list of those pilots who seem to be willing to subvert their professionalism, for future reference. Just sayin'

Since the average percent of fuel requests is about 2% for US and about 23% for UAL, if US merges with UAL, I presume quite a few UAL pilots will be called in for fuel skool. Right?