NorthEast (L1011) MIA shysters-update
I am one of the guys back from Angola - Eric F. Paillet is a "fan" of this site, and he will read with pleasure our progress here... Shall I say, he really enjoys reading all of you...
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I have known CEO Glenn since over 2 years ago, initially it was to be a 747 captain for an ACMI (Hajj) in Nigeria for Chief Kabo's brother Garba "Freedom Air" - Glenn got me a fresh PC, paid my hotel, and round trip back home, and gave me my $500 per diem for showing up... But he did not get the deal...
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We had stayed in touch... Then nearly a year ago, Glenn again mentions another 747 ACMI (Hajj) contract, this time in SHJ, and I answered yes, call me when you need me. I got unemployed by September, and planned to relocate from Los Angeles to Miami. I sent my wife first, to look for a job for her, and rent a studio. Got all our belongings in a storage in L.A. and late November took my car and drove to settle in Ft Lauderdale.
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The 747 did not materialize, I am not 1011 qualified, but I was a DC8 captain some 13 years ago, this qualifies me at least as per FAR 61.55 as DC8 F/O, and they were "about" to operate a DC8 to Angola, end of December. I accepted that assignment, besides I can handle Portuguese quite well (my wife is Brazilian) which is a plus besides my perfect French and Spanish.
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Looks like they were busy in the office, putting the 1011 deal together, and needed money, I was offered "minimum wages" for survival until we went to Angola, since I have quite a few years in operations management and chief pilot, I was of assistance in the office, and kept my ears and eyes wide open... Paillet lives a few miles up the 95 (North Broward) so I went to the office 2 or 3 times a week with him, 1 hour drive to go, 1 hour back, had the time to learn a lot about Paillet's acrobatics in airline financial management. The things were definitely not moving for the DC8, and busy trying to launch that 1011 in GSO, select the crews etc.
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Weeks, months went by, January, February, I constantly had to beg for a check to survive with my wife in a miserable studio, but Paillet told me I was in fat city with a wife making $800/mo as a motel room service maid and cleaner... During that period of time, I heard (Paillet's speaker phone) and the desperate calls from Rashid Mustafa in Angola crying for delivery of "his" DC8. Nothing was done to that DC8 (parked in Opa Locka), the money that Rashid sent Paillet got shuffled into the 1011 operation rather than preparing the DC8 (Paillet, you were darned good at lying to Rashid)... Then... the 1011 got seized in OUA... oh boy...
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Felt bad for the guys there, but Paillet insisted all was fine, that crews would be paid, and get travel home, etc. Then suddenly, it was paillet calling Rashid for more money to get the DC8 ready. They rushed through April and half of month of May to get this old DC8 ready, maintenance work and coordination was a zoo, was like the Keystone Cops... nothing progressed much each day. And getting a F/E was not easy, shall we say...
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Paillet said first that he would jump seat with us to Angola, but a change of tune, Rashid went to OUA to "fund" the release of the 1011 (Rashid is in the diamond trade, supposedly). Paillet said he would meet Rashid in OUA, we would fly the DC8 to Angola, and we would receive a 1 month salary advance upon arrival...
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This is what I assume happened. Paillet made a deal with Rashid, something like "you bail the 1011 out, and we give you a piece of the deal"... probably a worthless piece of paper putting Rashid in this succesful airline management team). Paillet made us in the DC8 feel (with almost a real little tear in his eye) that arriving, in Angola would save it all for the company, you guys salaries in the 1011, what a masterpiece of theatre, Mr. Paillet. I believed you.
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We arrived in Luanda... No money... our "palace" (as it had been described to Paillet by Rashid) was a prefab bungalow. We demanded to be moved to the hotel... Then the calls were daily to Paillet in OUA, where is the money... Rashid is coming, he is coming... after 2 or 3 weeks, ronDC8 went home... we stayed, we could not pay for a ticket... We never got the money, we were repatriated by the U.S. Embassy, we owe the money ($2,000) to Uncle Sam, until then our passports are stamped "not valid for travel") - that is forced unemployment for us, pilots, without a passport...
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But, Mr. Paillet, you are dealing with me... and I am a tough one to bite... We will see you in court, law suit against Northeast, and YOU personally, back salaries, reimbursement of travel, forced unemployment, reinstatement of passport, damages, legal costs, and God knows what our lawyer will dream about.
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The wheels of justice are slow, but we are patient. Sell your SUV, your BMW 740, and your Porsche Mr. Paillet, and probably your house too... hope you have nice equity in it...
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If any of you need legal help, contact me, I the end of my years of university, I made one year of International Air Law, and made friends with a lot of aviation lawyers, it is a friend who will be on our side... Sorry Glenn, I think you are a nice guy, sincere, but Paillet was a bad choice as a partner...