Virgin B employs CX's fired peanut-throwing pilot
 

A bit of an amusing story for the festive season. Though all may not agree, I say "hear, hear!" to Virgin Blue on this one!

From news.airwise.com:

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Peanut Throwing Pilot Hired By Branson

Dec 21, 2001

A Cathay Pacific pilot fired for throwing peanuts at his chief executive has been hired by Sir Richard Branson, head of Australian airline, Virgin Blue.

Captain Scott Munro was suspended for gross misconduct at a function by Cathay, then sacked and two appeals were rejected.

A Virgin Blue spokesman told the South China Morning Post: "If he threw some peanuts at our senior executives, certainly if he threw some peanuts at Richard, I think the worst thing that could happen is that Richard would throw some peanuts back at him."

In his application to Virgin Blue, Captain Munro had told them about the incident at Cathay. He said he threw peanuts at the ceiling in the Dakota Bar, near Chek Lap Kok Airport, and some landed near chief executive David Turnbull.

In April, Mr Turnbull said the pilot was dismissed because, "he threw things at me. He's the captain of the ship. It's not what you expect of him".

Cathay Pacific declined to comment.

Well, I suppose if VB allegedly pay their pilots peanuts........he is a NATURAL choice! :) :) :)

Here here,

Its about time some managers and the "upper" levels of airline management got the message that althought they earn more and perhaps take on more responsibility so far as management roles are concerened, they are still human beings and not the be all and end all of a company's success.

I have been lucky enough in my relatively short life so far to have been exposed to many many levels of an airlines structure and i most certainly hope to get to the top myself, but I will never forget how to have fun. I used to want to be another lemming and follow the line to the big rat in the sky, but having seen the deterioration of how they treat their crew I no longer see them as my #1 choice. Yes they have a good reputation and still pay a very livable salary but to me the salary should come second to personal happiness at work.

I have heard many a good word come out of the Branson empire and I have not met an employee who is not happy at work. If you have a boss who is willing to take notice of why you're not happy at work and honestly tries to do something about they will always have a loyal and willing workforce.

To be sacked for such a stupid reason is pure folly. The money poured into that employee would be quite significant to say the least and to throw that away because some manager couldn't handle a laugh is a joke in itself. He must be stupid to put personal pride etc in the way of running a company. VB have done well in picking up an employee who knows how to still have fun having put up with the amount of crap that aviation throws at us all.

Had i done that, and it is something I am most likely to do, i would full well expect peanuts thrown back, a laugh in response and a good relationship to develop between all staff members, I mean, for *%#$@ sake its not like he wrote off an aircraft.

Like i said earlier, any company that encourages their staff members to be happy (like VB) will do better in the long run. Happy and willing staff mean happy and return customers and therefor more success in the future. Its about time the other airlines woke up, took their staff complaints seriously, learnt how to laugh, tried to fix problems, looked at ways to reinvest profits into the company instead of larger salaries for executives - the privilaged few of a large family, all working towards the same goal - a great airline, with excellent service and happy repeat customers.

Well done VB for still knowing how to laugh and have fun. You'll get my CV in about a year.

Twin

Twin Locator,

Does that mean you think anyone who writes off an aeroplane should be sacked?

Hope you don't suffer an EFATO in your light twin, or you're out of a job.

Merry Xmas!

He seems a very nice chap and we are all the better for having him at VB. Cathay's loss.

If he was an AN pilot throwing rocks at management would be more appropriate than peanuts!

ATT Messiah,

I do not believe that anybody who writes an aircraft should be sacked. That would of course depend on any number of circumstances relating to the nature of the accident; weather, crew training, maintenance perhaps even crew intoxication?? It was not my intention to say that every pilot who writes an aircraft off should lose their job, but rather an example that compared to throwing peanuts at someone, writing an aircraft would seem a slightly more excessive slice of the pie.

I hope that i have clarified that point for you. If it was intended as a wind up then well done, I have taken the bait, but if you had read my post in the way it was intended, or atleast with some level of intelect and thinking then I'm sure you'd have recieved the message i was trying to portray.

Having said that, I'm back off to my bottle of red, have a Merry Christmas all and "see" you soon.

Twin.

PS - Although yes a locator is like an NDB i think you will notice that my name is NDB and NOT LOCATOR. Thanks GOD or should that really be Messiah. :)

He must be laughing now actually getting paid in peanuts.Also working with the hero who can make the B737 fly to record distances.Wow do Boeing have a peanut farm???.Maybe Airbus should buy one and get the boys back.

You pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

I wonder if CASA are aware that VB are employing monkeys? Is that written in their AOC? Do they feed them anything else but peanuts? But wait, there is no cabin service on VB. Where do they get their peanuts from? These monkeys will starve! Get me the RSPCA....

Proplever , your prop has run away with your tongue again. Yes I climb trees like a monkey , make whoopee like a monkey and I will have the last laugh like a monkey reading threads like yours!!! Get a life.

No doubt he IS laughing, Rabid Dog, because he has A PAID FLYING JOB with a go-ahead, Australian airline, and a boss who actually communicates WITH the troops - not an easy achievement/acquisition these days!!

Merry Christmas Captain Munro - the $$$'s won't be as good as CX, but the removal of the "aggro factor" would probably more than offset the that. I wonder if Mr Turnbull will think of you as he nibbles on peanuts this Xmas?

Twin Locator,

Yes it was a wind up, but if you had of read it with a sense of humour along with all that intelect you possess, you might have known.

If you are comfortable with calling me God....... <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

he he he....

Dear oh dear... how wound up we get over nothing. If I need a life Capt OU, then you my friend need a sense of humour.

Will someone tell those monkeys to stop throwing peanuts at me!?*&#@!

Merry Xmas!

Hey guys lighten up it's Xmas.

We all know what Monkeys and Bulldozers have in common........They @#!* up Trees!!!

Seasons greetings.....now where are my peanuts? :) :) :)

Thanks Proplever , iiiiiiiiiii!!! from my "monkey mouth"
Back to swinging in the trees out of BNE tomorrow!

Chuckle

&lt;&lt;A Cathay Pacific pilot fired for throwing peanuts at his chief executive has been hired by Sir Richard Branson, head of Australian airline, Virgin Blue.&gt;&gt;

LHS or RHS - anyone know?

LHS

In spite of his poor shot, he's a good man. VB have scored well.

I would say he is a good shot actually.