Well I felt cheated the day I left Bahrain.
I was required to present myself and all my leaving paperwork a few hours before my repatriation flight to the Bahrain Government pensions office.
I was to reclaim or have a valiant attempt at reclaiming as promised, (with a promised interest rate of 3.5% per year compounded) a 600BD deduction that had been made from my salary towards the mandatory government pension scheme enforced on expats. "23 years" previously.
This deduction over three months had been made after the GF expat company provident fund was terminated in 1976...this move saved the company contributing into this fund.
I saw on the pensions office computer screen a sum alongside my name "after 23years of waiting for my money back" in excess of 1400BD.
This was before the screen was changed because... I was reading it.
It was then suggested to me that I should donate... this money to the PLO.
I declined however I was grateful to the PLO for never hijacking or killing me or my passengers and never believed the rumors that GF paid 10million dinars a year to achieve this. I believed then only bad GF rumors were true.
I was eventually handed a government cheque for my original 600BD which they had sat on for 23years...take it or leave it.
Being a Gf pilot I taked it! because I needed to cash this cheque immediately as I had to close my last bank account... before racing to the airport to catch my 10.00am local repatriation flight to LHR.
My very last task was to hand in my security identification card and the lady in duty window whispered to me..."Captain you go back now to your country, we all wish you a painless death!"
Now no-longer employed by GF I was not entitled to crew transport.. so I "drag baged" one final time across the car parks to the check in desk contemplating the "Painless death wish". Being an optimistic type of guy I decided to treat her sudden communication after pretty much nill for many years as an Arabic type compliment.
As I progressed across the car parks I reflected upon the built in difficulties of East West communications. I then pondered politically and ended up wishing the hot shots in the USA government loads of luck understanding this important part of the world.
I decided to watch their progress or lack of it as I was nearly creamed by a local young driver in a car I would never afford. This was in 2000.
I was ticketed and and gratefully accepted being seated in economy class for my repatriation flight as I understood the "You no longer work for Gulf Air".
After the doors had closed the local flight Captain came back and moved me into first class...however I noticed he was told by the FSS he could no longer do this and she would report him...The "Lion of the Air" advised her "Do it".
I was upgraded and was delighted to join another GF Captain friend who had retired the previous year... those were the days when retired GF Captains traveled in first class...I think it has all changed now and I do not know if GF even have a first class anymore.
Approaching LHR there were terrific thunder storms at the airport and the Lion Of The Air..."Thanks be to his God" held clear of these.
When we eventually made it onto final approach and onto the runway I think two ex Gf Captains both did a little sigh of relief..I know I did.
The thunderstorms being over... as we taxied in we saw two beautiful large complete rainbows encompassing both parallel runways.....We both laughed when I said "Tony that is what we get from GF for 53years service as Captains and added plus no pensions!"..."One rainbow for me and one rainbow for you" we then discussed who should have first rainbow choice and who had the most seniority!
Luckily... I am still awaiting the GF wish of "A painless death" however I would not bet my house on it coming true...I will try and let you know how it went when the time comes.
I notice the USA increasingly does not trust anyone East of Dover or South of Key West. Mistrust seems a worldwide growth industry worth perhaps investing in via the usual gold and silver bullion.
Sadly I read there has been fake gold sold in the gold market of Bahrain, who would have believed that in the 70s when I bought mine.
Luckily my Gold and Silver has done a bit better than the 600BD the Bahrain government took and sat on for 23years.
I wish Iran lots of luck regarding their intentions towards their brothers across the Gulf and can assure them these brothers are working hard for them...and maybe also "Wishing them a painless death... because they like you"
It is a funny old world and GF is a funny old company, being now a funny old pilot I tend to like funny old things...like funny old trust worthy L1011 flight engineers.
Us retirees on no pensions from GF still hope GF survives and eventually drops its policy of excluding or ignoring input from crews...in my time I loved the memo that said.."Pilots inputs are neither necessary or required" I then knew Gf was heading for a crash...we kept it from happening for a long time... however it is absolutely fascinating to see still this totally biz-are management thinking still 30years on and still at work...the quality of the management decisions I feel just gets worse and worse.
Personally I love to try and guess what next rotten rabbits the various management teams are going to pull out of their corrupt hats...talk about downwards and backwards...I obviously got it completely wrong in thinking it should be upwards and onwards.
Failed again..onwards and upwards...getting old!
You will too one day ...If you are lucky!