Local flight school CEO threatens employees in internal email over virus complaints

BrianNC

BrianNC

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I read the story in your link. Wow. Just wow.

The owner is so angry that an employee complained to the airport, about the business staying open, that he offered a $500 reward to any employee who can prove who complained. He sounds like the boss from hell.
 
Unfortunately this is not the only flight school in the country putting dollars before safety. Icing conditions? MVFR in snow? Aircraft with faulty systems where the KOEL demands grounding? LLWS >30kts? Does not matter. If you do not fly, someone else will. So happy to not be pulling a W-2 anymore.
 
The largest flight school in Denver area is remaining open. However, I don't know any students taking lessons these days. Ran into (crossed paths in the parking lot) of a CAP pilot at KAPA (the largest of the 4 schools) one day last week - no one is flying. I live under RWY 17 approach and working from home. Very few jets and almost no pistons.

Flight training might be labeled essential but a 2-4 month delay really won't impact anyone considering the alternative.

https://americanflightschools.com/covid-19/
 
smv said:
Unfortunately this is not the only flight school in the country putting dollars before safety. Icing conditions? MVFR in snow? Aircraft with faulty systems where the KOEL demands grounding? LLWS >30kts? Does not matter. If you do not fly, someone else will. So happy to not be pulling a W-2 anymore.
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Yeah, all the "satellite traffic" around DFW was still pretty heavy according to a controller I heard today. I'm not sure I'd want to get into a cockpit with anyone I didn't know fairly well right about now. Just seems like "Wow, how is that prudent" and some of the social media posts flaunting their airport jaunts just seem to be asking for a hammer. Mind you I'm pro-freedom, but there's this little thing called prudence and discretion, too.
 
Mostly sitting this out. I’ll try to maintain currency but honestly not too worried. Didn’t fly at all in March. Checkride Prep is offering a free ground school class, so I’ll do that as a refresher since I want to get my ground school instructor cert. That starts today at 5 Pacific if anyone wants to register.
 
BrianNC said:
MORRISVILLE, N.C. — Despite statewide and county stay-at-home orders in effect, Blue Line Aviation, which operates a flight school right beside the air traffic control tower at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, continues to operate during the coronavirus outbreak.

According to an internal email obtained by WRAL News, any employee who complains about it could be fired...

https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/lo...otiCQKzIGJpWWjCWZpTV6RcDFoIg2CN5dy4R1OC2LhXwU
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Never mind the lack of caring about his employees but offering a reward for the someone to turn in the snitch. It is a sad situation at a place of business where the boss thinks he can bully the employees into doing some that they feel is risky.
 
Quote from the WRAL article: "A former police officer, Walters referenced his connection to law enforcement and claimed that there is no such thing as an anonymous complaint."

Sounds to me like he is using the Bad Cop interrogation strategy to intimidate his employees. Lucky for us, he is a FORMER police officer.
 
If the academic schools have closed (well, most of them) then why should flight training be declared essential? I don't understand why the commercial, scheduled carriers are in such dire need for pilots at this time to risk what many epidemiologists consider foolhardy actions.
 
Wow is right.
Not to diminish the current serious situation, but for the aviation career aspiring instructors at this school, (or anywhere else, for that matter), this can serve as the first lesson in what might be called "Take this (aviation) job and shove it PIC decision making." I like to counsel any commercial certificate students (or any student, for that matter) that there may come a time in your career where you have to be ready to toss keys on the boss's desk, resign your position, turn around and walk out. You'll be out of work, but you'll be alive. This could come up with the demanding Part 91 corporate boss that simply must get there for that important meeting (Gulfstream at Aspen, 2001) regardless of weather, or a 135 freighter company applying pressure to go ahead and fly the un-airworthy Navajo, or a 135 DO demanding you fly the late night charter way past duty time limits, or maybe 121 dispatch insisting on minimum fuel load when you know due to weather you need more fuel on board. Of course, I've made up all these scenarios, right? Point is, use your best ADM, leave yourself a way out of a dangerous situation, even if it means resigning the current job.
 
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Posted on Blue Line's Facebook page:

As pilots, we often say that "just because you can, doesn't mean you should." We don't believe that continuing instruction for those who aren't career or relief-oriented pilots is the responsible thing to do at this time.

Therefore, those portions of Blue Line Aviation’s services will remain closed, and all large group WINGS events canceled, until Governor Cooper’s Stay at Home Order is lifted and it is safe to resume our full line of business activities. This means that no membership dues will be billed for April, even if the order if lifted prior to the end of April. We will assess the status ahead of the May bill date and make additional announcements.

I would also like to take this opportunity to address the recent media reporting that I threatened employees for voicing concerns about us remaining open as an essential business. The email I sent was to address those making knowingly false police reports, and not threatening to discipline an employee for simply sharing a concern about us being open. Blue Line customers and staff have been given, and still have the opportunity to stay home without penalty if they choose. We have accommodated and will accommodate every request to do so.

While the allegations in the media are provably false, I believe I could have handled the situation differently, and I apologize for the internal e-mail that I sent.

We understand that there are concerns regarding the health and safety of our employees and that is, and always will be, our top priority. We have, and will continue to make accommodations for all employees who have been sick or impacted by COVID-19 in any fashion. We have adhered to and applied all CDC and Department of Health recommendations regarding COVID-19. We have communicated those procedures to all employees and students and are making accommodations for those who have expressed concerns with our decision to stay open. Our current environment is different every day and small business owners are having to make significant decisions on the viability of their companies and the impact that has on their employees. I make decisions regarding COVID-19 and the impacts on our employees and business daily. We are in a constant state of change right now, and how we operate today could be very different next week.

In 2017, the Federal In Aviation Association reported that there was a pilot shortage in the United States and that the total number of pilots had decreased by 30-percent over the last 30 years. The number of pilots continues to decrease while the number of pilots above retirement age continues to increase. As such, Blue Line Aviation will continue to keep our commercial-focused pilot training programs open as long as it is safe to do so; in an effort to prepare our students to help fight the global pandemic we’re currently facing. This decision is based on constant analysis of rapidly changing data and is subject to change on short notice.

Once Again, Blue Line Aviation has been designated as an essential business and we currently remain open for commercial pilot training only. Our services in pilot training have been identified by the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity Infrastructure & Security Agency (CISA) as part of the Critical Infrastructure and deemed an essential business under Governor Cooper’s Stay at Home Order. Furthermore, CISA issued memos on March 19, 2020 and March 28, 2020 identifying critical infrastructure workers as “employees supporting or enabling transportation functions,” “air transportation employees” and “workers who support the maintenance and operation of cargo by air transportation, including … airport operations, and other on- and off-airport facilities workers.” We are evaluating on an ongoing basis and will cease operating if/when it becomes necessary. In the event a decision to close is made, we will remain closed until it is safe to re-open.

Blue Line will continue to focus its efforts on providing safe, effective flight instruction to prepare the next generation of pilots to fill the many critical flying jobs, even if a temporary pause in operations is necessary. Now, as always, my Team and I remain available to assist you in any way possible. I hope that you and your family are weathering this storm well, and trust that we will all get back to some version of normal soon. Please don't hesitate to reach out by e-mail reply or phone if you would like to discuss this further.

We appreciate your support and are happy to have you in our family. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Trey Walters
​
 
The "Federal In Aviation Association?"
 
Altho Aspen (KAPA) is still open, Independence (the Cirrus school) is closed. Personally, I wouldn't want to take lessons right now. I've heard from a number of CFIs I know well, and they're not teaching, and don't understand why any of the schools are still operating. Here's the email from Bob

"We have suspended flight and ground instruction at IA, first because of the health risk and being unable to maintain any semblance of social distance and second, the Colorado Public Health Order in effect essentially prohibits GA operations."
 
My flight school is closed to instruction but open for rentals. I don’t think many people are even renting.
 
jordane93 said:
My flight school is closed to instruction but open for rentals. I don’t think many people are even renting.
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Same at our local airport. Flying and fueling going on, but instructors are a little wary of flying with individuals of unknown infection status right now. It would be too easy to be infected in the close quarters of the cockpit. Cases are still growing exponentially throughout the country.
 
NoHeat said:
I read the story in your link. Wow. Just wow.

The owner is so angry that an employee complained to the airport, about the business staying open, that he offered a $500 reward to any employee who can prove who complained. He sounds like the boss from hell.
Click to expand...

I happen to know the guy and no, he's not. Great supporter of aviation and does quite a bit for the community.
 
NoHeat said:
I read the story in your link. Wow. Just wow.

The owner is so angry that an employee complained to the airport, about the business staying open, that he offered a $500 reward to any employee who can prove who complained. He sounds like the boss from hell.
Click to expand...
If the owner's reply is correct, I'd likely fire the person who filed the report. Sometimes you just have troublemakers on your staff, and they need to go.
 
yeah, that is an interesting and conflicting situation there for sure.

I'm not even sure what flight school folks around here are doing.

The governor (Florida) just signed an order effective Friday to stay at home except for "essential businesses?
My company fits into one of the almost infinite definitions of essential and they are staying open, making people come into work. I'd be there today except for being home sick. The frustrating part is that 99.99% of what I do is computer and the other 0.01% face to face or phone...could be done by computer or by a "different" phone....but they aren't setting me up to log in remotely.
Anyway, my point is that it seems to me the definitions they use for "essential" are so broad and loose that these orders really are a good bit of a joke.
IMHO, decorative architectural finishes are not essential....even though they do fall under "manufacturing"...and also fall under "supporting construction". I think it's a context thing.... maybe essential for long term economy....country at war stuff.... but come on, even though I want the business to survive it's pretty hard for me to justify that they are essential in this context...short term of a few weeks while this thing settles out. But is it in my best interest to rat out my employer for not following what I personally interpret the letter of "intent" to be for the governor's order?
I kinda suppose flight schools are a similar loophole situation.
 
Brad W said:
Anyway, my point is that it seems to me the definitions they use for "essential" are so broad and loose that these orders really are a good bit of a joke.
IMHO, decorative architectural finishes are not essential....even though they do fall under "manufacturing"...and also fall under "supporting construction". I think it's a context thing.... maybe essential for long term economy....country at war stuff.... but come on, even though I want the business to survive it's pretty hard for me to justify that they are essential in this context.
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You sound a bit like my Facebook rant.
 
Kenny Phillips said:
If the owner's reply is correct, I'd likely fire the person who filed the report. Sometimes you just have troublemakers on your staff, and they need to go.
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Whatever the underlying facts, it doesn't show good judgement to have addressed it by offering a snitch bounty on an all-company email. Unless the report was transparently baseless and everyone on staff agrees, it risks creating an impression that you will seek retaliation over a matter related to safety. And any fule could have seen the chance (actually, especially if the reports were genuinely pure malice!) that this would go public.
 
NoHeat said:
I read the story in your link. Wow. Just wow.

The owner is so angry that an employee complained to the airport, about the business staying open, that he offered a $500 reward to any employee who can prove who complained. He sounds like the boss from hell.
Click to expand...

Whistleblower laws should protect the employee.
 
We just had a CFI candidate who is now in a coma and on life-support. He was healthy two days ago. Every plane he could have come in contact with, dispatcher, CFI, time-building buddy, ramper, could have been at risk. THANKFULLY, the FBO shut down all operations including private rentals.

Pray for the young pilot who fell ill. He's 21 and on a 1st class medical.
 
Brad W said:
yeah, that is an interesting and conflicting situation there for sure.

I'm not even sure what flight school folks around here are doing.

The governor (Florida) just signed an order effective Friday to stay at home except for "essential businesses?
My company fits into one of the almost infinite definitions of essential and they are staying open, making people come into work. I'd be there today except for being home sick. The frustrating part is that 99.99% of what I do is computer and the other 0.01% face to face or phone...could be done by computer or by a "different" phone....but they aren't setting me up to log in remotely.
Anyway, my point is that it seems to me the definitions they use for "essential" are so broad and loose that these orders really are a good bit of a joke.
IMHO, decorative architectural finishes are not essential....even though they do fall under "manufacturing"...and also fall under "supporting construction". I think it's a context thing.... maybe essential for long term economy....country at war stuff.... but come on, even though I want the business to survive it's pretty hard for me to justify that they are essential in this context...short term of a few weeks while this thing settles out. But is it in my best interest to rat out my employer for not following what I personally interpret the letter of "intent" to be for the governor's order?
I kinda suppose flight schools are a similar loophole situation.
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I completely agree by the way.. some of these "essential business" definitions are written so broadly that just about anyone can make an argument that they're an "essential business" - frankly, the US is doing more of a "nudge theory" experiment, where, at the end of the day, everyone is just being encouraged **very strongly** to stay home, but that's basically it, a very strong "ask" ..

You can beg and beg, but this thing will keep getting 30 day bump outs until there is a vaccine or herd immunity, or some combination of that

The problem is, everyone thinks "I'm just meeting the four people at my small office" or "I'm just seeing my friend Jim, it's a closed loop with us" - but if everyone thinks like that it continues to spread. It's like when you use your shoes at the beach once.. somehow by the end of the month you find sand all over your house

14-28 days of solid enclosure should have kicked this thing.. but because most people just went on with their lives, only difference being they didn't go to work or out to dinner or bars, it is still spreading.. just a little slower.
 
I don't see the problem. If he feels the company is deemed 'essential' then it's his call if they stay open or not. Likewise if employees feel the risk is too great then they should use PTO or in the case of non-exempts ask for the time off. Ultimately if they have such a hard time with it, in America they are able to quit. This isn't whistle blowing, this is just complaining.
 
bflynn said:
I happen to know the guy and no, he's not. Great supporter of aviation and does quite a bit for the community.
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That may be true, but he sure comes across as a pr*ck in his email. If my boss sent an email offering a $500 to drop on dime on someone who voiced concerns about safety, I would hand in my resignation. Life is too short to put up with that kind of thing.
 
labbadabba said:
Whistleblower laws should protect the employee.
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...but if it comes to that....so now you have a bitter troublemaker being forced to work for a boss that doesn't want that person. How does that help?

Tantalum said:
14-28 days of solid enclosure should have kicked this thing.. but because most people just went on with their lives, only difference being they didn't go to work or out to dinner or bars, it is still spreading.. just a little slower.
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that has been my thought all along. One might argue that a lot of this was/is over reacting...closing restaurants and the like.... but if we are continuing to hit drive throughs...and go to work....and get gas because we're driving so much...and going to the grocery store for the second time this week because they didn't have what we needed earlier....and going on with life
then all we have done is dreadfully slowed the economy for a very elongated time.
Might be better then to just take it to the next step, sign some stay at home orders that truly make sense based on a 2-3 week period (or whatever)....like seriously, everyone just stay at home unless en route to the hospital.... then the overall damage to economy would seem likely less.
 
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