"604 Driver" the tuth
“604 Driver” the truth can now be told.
Some nine months have passed since an article on April 5th by “604 Driver” which excited so much interest on PPrune. As the person concerned and the dust has settled, I feel I must correct some of the statements made and give the truth of the matter. I delayed this article in order to protect the Principle company. As this is meant to be a professional forum I will attempt to keep this strictly to do with aviation.
The following are true and can be verified.
1. 604 Driver was my chosen successor to eventually take over from me when I retired.. .2. I trained him to fly jets in 1989/90 when he was 20/21 yrs old. I am “Ex Mil”, a A2 QFI and proud of it. You do not get just under 1000 deck landings (150 at night) to your credit without being able to fly an aircraft.. .3. He left me in a hurry in 1990 seduced by a major Gulf airline and lasted all of approx 6 months due to his arrogance and cockiness failing his simulator ride but with typical arrogance he blamed the system rather than be introspective.. .4. He has had some three or four jobs since then in the space of just ten years, in the previous one doing exactly as he did to me by going round the back to the principles denigrating his chief pilot. Luckily he failed on that occasion. I did not know this at the time and took him on to take over from me when I retired.. .5. To my knowledge he is not, and never has been a qualified “training captain” I put him on a UK course in 2000 conducted by the CAA but he failed due to his high stress levels and possible “personality” reasons. He cannot even give “One Off” check rides and his performance & competence as a so called “instructor pilot/training captain” would therefore be highly questionable. . .6. He has divorced (deserted would be a better word) his wife of only three years leaving her to bring up their child, he latter mentions on PPrune about court case he attended (PPrune April 22nd) He does not say it was his own divorce and I only mention this as this article succinctly shows his state of mind.. .7. Before he wrote his original article I had already indicated to the Principles on March the 16th my wish to slowly retire from the flying side of our operation. . .8. His article was his impulsive response to my official report on an incident on the 20th March when he went directly to the Principles on an aviation matter when I was available and in direct contravention of standing orders (and common decency). He and his friend, whom I had given a job one year previously, had apparently been going behind my back for some time.. .9. Since he has become “chief pilot” the following have happened:-
a. one co-pilot has left with “604 Driver” attempting to damn his professional ability to his next employer. He accused the co-pilot of falsifying his logbook which is a criminal offence and did it for no other reason that petty spite and to damn his future career. This is possibly the subject of litigation.. .b. Two stewardess’s have left. One due to sexual harassment. I have her statement.. .c. He has made a slanderous statement against me to a senior passenger regarding a flight in October 2000.. .d. Has seriously upset relations between a major handling agent due to his arrogance & unreasonable temper, so much so that one of the girls rang me up in the UK to ask what was going on.
Yes I did make mistakes, any pilot who thinks he will not do so in the course of his career is arrogant in the extreme but not all the embroidered ones “604 Driver” attempts to use his journalistic invective to justify his arrogance & disloyalty and I have witnesses to the facts.
If any PROFESSIONAL pilot (not the likes of “Bright-ling” who as an ATCO can hardly have too much idea of landing an aircraft with severe turbulence, limiting crosswind, 3.5 degree slope and a wet runway) wishes to see the article and subsequent faxes from me which I wrote when I first came to hear of “604 Drivers” diatribe about me in April 2001 then they can contact me via PPrune on email. They are too long to publish on this forum.