Sunwing captain passed out drunk in cockpit

[plhought]

"Champagne Service" indeed!

...and vodka, beer, jagerbombs.....

[JungianJugular]

.

[crazyaviator]

slovakia,,,, hmmm, All the politically correct leftists ( rockie) out there will be waiting for the first racist, phobic comment to come from those who actually have a brain and care about Canada !!!!!

[7ECA]

Racist how exactly, crazy? Seeing how Slovakia is a European country, predominantly Christian and Caucasian - I really can't see what your getting at...

[Inverted2]

I thought the TFW thing was over at Sunwing? A drunk bohunk in the cockpit doesn't look good.

[BCnomad]

All these self righteous Canadian pilots blathering on about how high and mighty they are compared to the rest of the world. As if there has never been a Canadian that has had a few beers or caught behind the wheel of anything. Wake up and smell the coffee boys and girls - your not perfect.

BTW - the TWP has nothing to do with a guy who is an alcoholic or just plane stupid.

Moreover, for all you bitching god like wanna be pilots, there are Canadians working overseas in other countries under various work visas.. But I guess that is ok...

[Jimmy2]

I'd imagine most Canadians flying abroad are there because the positions can't be filled by local pilots. Good point about the drinking though. It's a worldwide problem it seems.

[LifeAt90Kts]

I was under the impression Sunwing had a reciprocal agreement with a euro carrier. Some of their pilots come over here during our busy winter holiday season, some Canadians go over there during their busy summer holiday season. I may be completely wrong as I got that from a buddy who flies for Sunwing, but gets sent to Poland to fly the summers there.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

From what I just learned, this guy was allegedly a Slovakian National on a work permit who was about to fly a Canadian registered aircraft on a FLVC issued by Transport Canada.

Canada is the only industrialized country that allows foreign licensed pilot to fly its commercial aircraft.

Slovakia, the country where this gentleman is allegedly from, does not allow Canadian licensed pilots to fly Slovakian commercial aircraft. No European country does. Nor does the USA, Australia or New Zealand. Canada is unique in that sense.

Yet people at Transport Canada see no problem with that. How does one explain this ?

In fact, just last summer, Transport Canada modified CASS 421.07(2)(j) to legalize issuing FLVCs to Foreign pilots for commercial flying.

Who benefits ? Sunwing.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

I was under the impression Sunwing had a reciprocal agreement with a euro carrier. Some of their pilots come over here during our busy winter holiday season, some Canadians go over there during their busy summer holiday season. I may be completely wrong as I got that from a buddy who flies for Sunwing, but gets sent to Poland to fly the summers there.

Sunwing pilots go overseas on Wetleases, flying their own Canadian registered aircraft because European Aviation authorities do not allow Canadian pilots to fly European registered aircraft commercially.

This guy was allegedly in Canada on a work permit flying Canadian registered aircraft with a European license.

Foreign pilots should come here to fly their own aircraft on wet-leases, not Canadian registered aircraft.

[a380super]

-well wait a minute ...talking about "canadian registered "aircraft:registration is just a number that can be changed overnight... bunch of them have their registration changed during the winter..those "c-registered" aircraft are actually coming from Europe (TVS, Thomson..). So at the end of the day those foreign guys also fly somehow their own aircraft here in canada ....and also give canadian pilots job in winter.

-Good post Bcnomad.

[ogopogo]

I am not an airline pilot but.....isn't there a pilot briefing an hour before the flight? Routing, weather, manifest, etc? There is something fishy or missing with this story. The article states the co-pilot "found" the pilot preparing and then slumped over.

[Dh8Classic]

He was Captain too. A 37 year old drunk Slovakian can be a jet captain in Canada and I can't get an interview for a regional turboprop job because of all the competition.

I thought he might be an AT guy temporarily on leave after a little dust-up in Scotland. Oh well, back when it mattered more, I wasn't qualified to get an interview at AT because of all the "competition". So basically, the same thing, drunk pilots and a closed shop.

[confuzed]

He was Captain too. A 37 year old drunk Slovakian can be a jet captain in Canada and I can't get an interview for a regional turboprop job because of all the competition.

I thought he might be an AT guy temporarily on leave after a little dust-up in Scotland. Oh well, back when it mattered more, I wasn't qualified to get an interview at AT because of all the "competition". So basically, the same thing, drunk pilots and a closed shop.

Really? That is BEST thing you can come up with when the shoe is on the other foot? I see you are still a little bit bitter that AT never called you for a groundschool because of an "apparent" language problem. I think their HR saw past the language problem and saw a bit of an ATTITUDE problem. Wow....unreal.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

-well wait a minute ...talking about "canadian registered "aircraft:registration is just a number that can be changed overnight... bunch of them have their registration changed during the winter..those "c-registered" aircraft are actually coming from Europe (TVS, Thomson..). So at the end of the day those foreign guys also fly somehow their own aircraft here in canada ....and also give canadian pilots job in winter.

-Good post Bcnomad.

When the aircraft is put on the Canadian register, it changes operator. It is put on Sunwing's Operators Certficate, is controlled and flown under Suwing SOP under CAR 705, using Sunwing's insurance policy.
When it stays Foreign registered (there is an exception) it is a wet lease operated and controlled by the foreign airline under the foreign airlines' OC, the foreign airlines' SOP and the foreign airlines' aviation regulations and insurance.

When Canadian pilots go fly in Europe, they fly Canadian Registred aircraft on wet leases. The Europeans do not allow Canadian licensed pilots to fly European operated aircraft.

[Rockie]

slovakia,,,, hmmm, All the politically correct leftists ( rockie) out there will be waiting for the first racist, phobic comment to come from those who actually have a brain and care about Canada !!!!!

?

[tsgas]

lots of back stabbers out there. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone".

[BCnomad]

Gilles H. Please educate yourself on Canadian pilots working overseas. I know for a fact that that CDN pilots have worked ( and continue) overseas using their CDN lic and flying under the "other" countries registration. It is a simple process. Similar to Canada: The country in question applies to the local CAA and then the CAA approves a validation or a full ATPL license for that holder based on their home license. Be it ICAO,or FAA, or what have you. What you have said is completely false.

[Dh8Classic]

He was Captain too. A 37 year old drunk Slovakian can be a jet captain in Canada and I can't get an interview for a regional turboprop job because of all the competition.

I thought he might be an AT guy temporarily on leave after a little dust-up in Scotland. Oh well, back when it mattered more, I wasn't qualified to get an interview at AT because of all the "competition". So basically, the same thing, drunk pilots and a closed shop.

Really? That is BEST thing you can come up with when the shoe is on the other foot? I see you are still a little bit bitter that AT never called you for a groundschool because of an "apparent" language problem. I think their HR saw past the language problem and saw a bit of an ATTITUDE problem. Wow....unreal.

I was lucky, things worked out bigger and better for me than they would have in AT. But, I bet it has not worked out for others so well. Some care, obviously some don't and think you have an "attitude problem" when not qualified due to your cultural background.

[Old fella]

slovakia,,,, hmmm, All the politically correct leftists ( rockie) out there will be waiting for the first racist, phobic comment to come from those who actually have a brain and care about Canada !!!!!

Good Christ, an individual get removed from the cockpit of a Canadian carrier due suspicion of intoxication as reported by other crew members and it was determined said captain was indeed under the influence. This person put Canadian passengers in a very unsafe situation by his actions and then we see comments as posted above.....