Update
 

Capt. Gammage is now booked LCA-BAH on Cyprus Airways this Thursday 6-Sep. I understand admission to the BDF hospital on arrival.

BIG Shame
 

What a BIG, MASSIVE shame for Gulf Air.

It not olny took ages, but also comes to a point that Capt. Gammage has to be booked on Cyprus Airways!!! This airline lack of initiative and people to be accountable of it never ceases to amaze me! Unbelievable!

Glad to hear that Rad will be soon in BAH (although this could have happened a LOT earlier). Wishing an expeditious recovery surrounded by his loved ones.

you're right joe, what a shambles...this is an example of the recent new package not being everything but the company as a whole package.
back to the topic at hand,
Icarus, please let us know if ongoing financial assistance would help the Gammage family and if there is a fund in place to enable this. i think after all that Rad and Ron have had to endure, the least we can do is be pro-active for them, non of this inshallah crap!!

I am not a pilot but knew Rad and Roni socially when I worked in Bahain 14 odd years ago. As other posters have already noted Rad is a true gentlemen and I trust, like you all, he is able to recover from this illness. As for GF....enough has been said. I hope someone will be able to monitor Rad's progress at BDF hospital and keep us updated.

Take care Rad and Roni.

Keith Blackburn

I find it rather strange (in a very sad sort of way) that a well known long flying Gulf carrier like GF can treat their staff in such a shabby way...

versus...

A small carrier with three old Lockheed three-holers that normally only fly the Hajj, and having, on the very last flight, an accident with a crew bus in Egypt where a First Officer was tossed out of a window at 40kmh, suffering rather massive head injuries, med-evac'ed to (first) an Egyption hospital, then a Jordanian hospital, and when well enough to travel to the USA, a f/c seat to his home, where further medical treatment was totally paid for by the company, including salary and bonus.
He is now back to full flying status, thanks to the very quick action of the company management.

On further reflection, I shouldn't be surprised at all by GF's in-action, as apparently those in charge are simply to busy lining their pockets.:(

Sorry I am with AAIGUY on this one. The company (GF) have acted disgracefully and the flightdeck are a bunch of wimps. Why in Gods name did we invent a parking brake! Stop flying and management will listen!

Back in the days when the Royal Air Force was a force to be reckoned with we would have gone off on a training flight, diverted to Cyprus and got the job done!

I appreciate that today is different but only because that's what you have chosen.

Captain Gammage I hope that the quality of life improves for you and I wish you and you family well.

felipe56

Felipe56 and AAIGUY - The Bahrain Labour Laws may have changed but, at one time, it was illegal to strike and to do so was punishable by gaol.
Ever been to the Bahrain Gaol?

Add to that the fact that only a very small percentage of pilots would strike and that would leave the brave few to face the music on their own.
What might have happened in an RAF environment in the past is of little relevance to Rad's case, military and commercial aviation are a world apart.

Nope, the rules haven't changed. It's still illegal to go on strike here.

How could going on strike possibly help Rads case!:ugh:

Would it not be a better longterm option to head up to UK for Rehab?
I have doubts about the long term honouring of the Medical bills in BAH. lets hope they prove me wrong.

I hope it all works out for Rad, he deserves to be looked after.
Get Well!

What exactly is the current GF health care coverage?

Keith FYI
 

Keith Blackburn,
Jim Walsh here, still in this neck of the woods. All of us at the Brit Club
doing what we can to pressurize Gulf Air and hopefully it will happen this week. Regular updates on his condition will be posted once he is safely back in Bahrain, take care and all the best.

Rad and Roni, We wish you both well and will assist in whatever way we can.

update on Rad
 

Have just heard that Rad is no longer on the Cyprus flight, but has been rescheduled to fly to Athens with a one hour forty five transit ,then on to Gulf Air Flight Athens Bahrain in a wheel chair sitting passenger business class. His round trip will be approx 12 hours as appox the 2hr and 10 min .
HE IS NOT A WHEEL CHAIR CASE HE IS A STRETCHER CASE

ronni cannot accompany him the ambulance and has also found out that she has not been booked on any of these flight.

As a friend staying to help I can tell you all ,she is at breaking point now as she is currently in discussions again with america , re his evacuation , due to the shambles . also Gulf Air are insisting on a photo copy again of Captains passport, she is telephoning travel agents to try to accompany her husband. and is currently at the hospital to talk to his doctor. Will inform of any other news.. Bahrain has been informed of changes.

Incredible
 

This is indeed bad news and shows how unbelievably clueless GF Management are. I hope the little action I have just taken, will sort this situation out. let's wait and see.

Jim

Thanks for the note. The latest 'travel arrangements' for Rad are a joke. I will check in for updates.

ATB Keith

Yes the latest travel arrangements are a joke; but GF are at the behest of the (rather poorly performing) insurance companies involved and they have been advised of Gulf Air's dissatisfaction in no uncertain terms earlier today. It is all well and good critisising Gulf Air but despite several attempts to influence the decisions being made by the insurers has and continues to prove just about impossible. Taking things into their own hands may just result in invalidating the policy and any subsequent claims; surely that is a risk one too many.

Rad is booked as a wheelchair passenger LCAATH on Aegean Airlines 1200/1345 to connect to GF42 at around 1500 arriving Bahrain 1900-ish. Mrs Gammage is being provided with an FOC ticket to accompany Capt Gammage on the Gulf Air flight Thursday alongside Rad and two medical escorts.

Maybe an opportunity for GF to switch Insurance companies. Those guys have always been bastards. Threatening a policy cancellation may get someone off their arses!!

Icarus, sorry mate if my last post came across the wrong way.

You are right re insurance companies of course. I am not knocking GF as such. However, Rad came down with his illness some two months ago. In any industry this is a bad repsonse by all responsible parties concerned. Enough said about this though; the thread is first and foremost about the well being of Rad and Roni.

KB

No offence taken.

It has been disappointing not to have managed to achieve things more quickly and it has been thoroughly frustrating at times, no where near as frustrating as things have clearly been for Mrs Gammage but frustrating non-the-less with things having to take a different direction at short notice and inconvenience to what were at the time best laid plans. My issue is the critisism of Gulf Air as a company as a whole which I believe is somewhat unfair. The insurance company have dragged their heels beyond belief and I dare not repeat some of things that they have communicated. I rather hope now that things will work out fine on Thursday. Certainly I can guarantee that Gulf Air are doing all possible to make sure that the trip is completed as efficiently and as comfortably as possible for Mr & Mrs Gammage.

That will not be the end of it of course. We still have to complete the set up of the voluntary donation scheme internally at Gulf Air to help Mrs Gammage with costs not covered by Insurance and Rad's ongoing rehabilitation and try to faciliate dontations from interested parties outside of Gulf Air.

as promised update.
 

when I went to collect Ronie from the hospital, I can tell you from my heart that I broke down in tears to see Rads wife on his chest (WHAT IS LEFT OF IT) crying in each others arms on the eve of their 21st wedding annerverisay.

Yes Roni is an angel in disguise, but even her wings cannot fly her to athens from pahpos via taxi to Larnaca.

Thank you Gulf air for the FOC tkt from Athens, but why could he and Roni not be flown today or earlier.

Rads quote of this day "I am scared and I fear that I might be off loaded from Agegeon airline. Do not say I am a Captain"


company !!!Insurance !!!Company!!! Insurance!!!.

Let us all hope and pray for Rad.











.

Rads words today were " I fear that Aegean will off load me ,i want to die, do not call me captain on the flight but I will try .

"

Insurance
 

Do we know who the insurance provider is??
Perhaps we can apply some pressure ...diplomatically!!!
Rad and Roni, safe journey.

Can't you all just throw in 50 bucks each and buy the guy a ticket home?

At one point that was in the works don't really know the outcome/progress along those lines...Icarus???

Actually, it was 100BHD. Standing by.

The Donation Scheme is intended for Rad's rehabilitations and sundry expenses not covered by Insurance; that plan is still there and with luck will be delivered and made available in the next couple of weeks.

As for Capt. Gammages trip home (well, at least to the BDF) has been turned upside down again around mid-day today! Rad will now travel LCABAH on Cyprus Airways as a stretcher case Thursday evening, arriving in Bahrain around 1940 local. This has been at the request of the medical team who have now decided that a 'sitting case' on Aegean/Gulf Air via Athens in inappropriate. Rad will have two medical escorts. We are now doing our best to get Roni a seat on the same flight as it would be most inappropriate for them to be split up and God forbid Roni left for Bahrain and something happened in LCA and Rad could not travel which I can only imagine would be her worst nightmare at this stage. CCO (EVPSM) has been asked for a ticket approval, we are just waiting for a response.

There are still matters to arrange a smooth arrival at Bahrain for Mrs Gammage and we will set tht up tomorrow morning.

Fingers crossed, this part of this terrible ordeal will be over in an little over 24 hours.

ATTENTION NAFF

One of your longest serving employees is in dire need of the company's support; the same support he showed the last 30 years to this damn airline.

NOW GET THE FINGER OUT AND GET THE MAN HOME NOW

What do you need a frigging act of parliament to authorise a ticket LCA-BAH?

SHAME ON YOU

Approval was granted very shortly after my last post and the ticket has been issued.

Not directly relevant, but back in DXB in 1986 working for BCAL I was hit by a car outside crew hotel. Spent 3 weeks in local hospital then stretchered back. This was 1 week before Xmas so flights all chokka. Needless to say, BCAL pulled out all the stops for one of their own. My parents were called at home within 1 hour, and were told to report to MAN ticket desk where there would be free F class tkts waiting, and room in crew hotel booked for as long as needed, all at BCAL expense.I was stretchered back, after BCAL offloaded several pax to accomodate stretcher, and BCAL also provided 2 medical staff for flight home. WHY CAN'T GF DO THIS ??????
Wishing Rad and Roni all the very best, and fingers crossed that all goes smoothly for the flt back.......

Actually, I feel that is the reason behind the whole nationalisation programs. They have no qualms about treating their own people like crap. Unfortunately, we get caught in the cross fire.

On his way home!!!! A Gulf Air spokesman in the paper today said he was "unaware of the situation"...how sad

Read the posts properly.

The MEDICAL TEAM made the change in Capt Gammages best interest so that he may travel on a stretcher. The insurers and the Doctors have booked this FIRST FLIGHT available ex LCA.

GF provided stretcher capacity late last week but the Insurers made the call to route via ATH almost immediately afterwards and then back tracked.
I imagine CY in Bahrain were contacted as the carrier and nothing more they have had no involvement other than to take a booking from a travel agent via the Doctors.

GF are doing their best to have Mrs Gammage on the same flight this afternoon as that is not covered by Insurance. GF would be quite happy again to bring Rad back but why wait until Saturday when there is another carriers flight today?

Get off your soap boxes and make sure your Easy password is up to date so you can donate to ongoing non-covered expenses once the facility is available. And let's all hope you can donate as largely and as loudly as you can critique!

Great news finally seems old Rad will get back soon and will receive the much needed medical attention he deserves.

I very much agree that it is unthinkable that the GF spokesman was clueless as to Rad's situation. I wonder if it's the same spokesman we all know too well.

Aicraft taxying out at LCA, Mr & Mrs Gammage, two medical escorts all present and correct.

Best update so far Icarus - gud on yer. Hope the transfer goes well. Will look out for further updates.

KayBee

Thanks for clarifying that for us Icarus. I also was dumbfounded by what I read in the GDN. Glad to hear he is on his way home. :ok:

So now we have talked the talk...let us walk the walk...maybe better the contributions go directly to their bank account...get the picture??? I'll be first to step up to the plate..sept salary time...I only met Capt Rad once in my 16yrs here in the gulf...but time to rise to the occasion gentlemen...Ronnie will need our support as well...transport to the hospital groceries for herself...all the things a family needs and deserves....all help welcome... remember men like Rad and supporting wives like Ronnie have made our GF careers a possiblity....forget the boat trip next week or the fancy dinner...contribute to our colleague instead...there but for the grace of God go we....WELCOME HOME RAD N RONNIE!!!!! yes thats right....HOME!!!!

and "we" means ALL GF crew....regardless of creed, color, race, religion, nationality, or sex...let us at GF show the rest of the airlines how the Golden Falcon spreads its wings to take care of it's own!!!!

Publish account details and I'll be there Sunday or Monday....hopefully in a queue with some of you guys.

Please confirm that he is "home" safely.

How?
 

MoneyBookers
 

felipe56
 

Yes. Flight arrived 2115 last night. Capt Gammage got off to the BDF reasonably quickly & smoothly. Mrs Gammage took an hour and a half to get through the formalities as there were issues at immigration with the Doctors. A doctor also checked in baggage and of course buggered off in the ambulance so there were issues getting that bag through without him being present. Mrs Gammage got to the BDF around 2330.