catiii From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 2305 posts, RR: 3 Posted (3 months 1 week 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 14201 times:
Cal was #1 on the DL seniority list, and flew his last flight on Friday from LAX to ATL before turning 65. Cal has had a long and storied career at Delta, with recent highlights being delivering DL's first 777LR and flying the DXB inaugural. He is a gentleman, a class act, and the epitome of what an airline captain should be.
maxpower1954 From United States of America, joined Sep 2008, 861 posts, RR: 5 Reply 2, posted (3 months 1 week 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 14057 times:
A very nice story, but I find it amazing that the Atlanta Constituition would describe Delta Airlines in the 1970s as a small Southern carrier. Even Captain Flanigan was wrong when he said Delta didn't fly west of the Mississippi when he started. The routes to LAX, SFO, SAN
[Edited 2013-03-08 22:15:07] and LAS began in 1961.
But again, a very nice story. I hope he has a long and happy retirement.
mayor From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 9273 posts, RR: 13 Reply 4, posted (3 months 1 week 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 13891 times:
Quoting maxpower1954 (Reply 2): A very nice story, but I find it amazing that the Atlanta Constituition would describe Delta Airlines in the 1970s as a small Southern carrier.
The route system, when I hired on in '71 WAS predominently EAST of the Mississippi. Only a very few routes west of there.
Quoting maxpower1954 (Reply 2): Even Captain Flanigan was wrong when he said Delta didn't fly west of the Mississippi when he started.
Even DL's very first route went west of the Mississippi.............to Monroe, Shreveport and Dallas, originating in Atlanta. Funny, when I worked at SHV '80-'82, we STILL had that routing, on a 727.........DFW-SHV-MLU-JAN-BHM-ATL.
"A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling, to do the unnecessary"----Fred Allen
BestWestern From Ireland, joined Sep 2000, 6510 posts, RR: 58 Reply 5, posted (3 months 1 week 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 13826 times:
Guys, can we stop with the OCD, and perhaps read the article again.
“When I started, if you were to look at the route map, it was east of the Mississippi,” Flanigan said. “If you look at our system map now, it covers the world.”
I'd say that at the time the vast vast majority of Delta routes were east of the Mississippi river, so he is accurate. Otherwise I can get all OCD and claim that they don't cover the world.
Yukon880 From United States of America, joined Sep 2011, 113 posts, RR: 2 Reply 6, posted (3 months 1 week 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 13779 times:
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Quoting maxpower1954 (Reply 2): A very nice story, but I find it amazing that the Atlanta Constituition would describe Delta Airlines in the 1970s as a small Southern carrier. Even Captain Flanigan was wrong when he said Delta didn't fly west of the Mississippi when he started. The routes to LAX, SFO, SAN
According to the AJC article, the Captain is quoted as saying...
“When I started, if you were to look at the route map, it was east of the Mississippi. If you look at our system map now, it covers the world.”
He did not specifically say that "Delta didn't fly west of the Mississippi when he started."
No doubt he was well aware of the West Coast service when he hired on, and given the context I do think the intent was clear. Further, since the Captain bleeds Widgets, I'll bet he knows the name of his company...
dairbus From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 587 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (3 months 1 week 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 13645 times:
I'm proud to say that I was the dispatcher for Capt. Flanigan's final flight.
Although I did not know him personally, it's obvious he is held in very high regard by many at Delta. Richard Anderson even had a personal message which was transmitted via ACARS while he was enroute to ATL. I got off work just as the flight was about to land and was able to see him get the traditional water cannon salute as he taxied into E-Concourse.
I wish all the best to him and his family on his retirement.
I've known some people like that. They never took a sick day but they sure caused other, smarter people to take them when they got them sick at work instead of staying home.
NWAROOSTER From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 864 posts, RR: 3 Reply 11, posted (3 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 10544 times:
Looking at Captain Flanigan's picture looking out the window of the last Delta flight as a pilot in command, he looks as though he really enjoyed flying. He looks, to me, like a kid who wanted to fly aircraft.
Hope enjoys flying his own aircraft as he did flying the "Big Jets". Only the best to this aviation giant.
solarflyer22 From US Minor Outlying Islands, joined Nov 2009, 397 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (3 months 1 week 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 9371 times:
jbmitt From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 509 posts, RR: 2 Reply 13, posted (3 months 1 week 5 days ago) and read 8495 times:
Was anyone else surprised that in 37 years he only landed at 95 different destinations? Granted towards the end he was on the 777, MD-11, 767, L1011 which had more limited destinations, but he did fly the 727, MD88, and DC-9.
I would think that over a career a pilot on the MD88/90, 737, 757 would have made it to nearly every mainline city. Can anyone else chime in?
WESTERN737800 From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 685 posts, RR: 2 Reply 15, posted (3 months 1 week 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 8337 times:
Great story. Congrats on a great career. Not taking a sick day in 45 years is very impressive.
flightsimer From United States of America, joined Aug 2009, 431 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (3 months 1 week 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 8050 times:
futureualpilot From United States of America, joined May 2000, 2562 posts, RR: 8 Reply 18, posted (3 months 1 week 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 7643 times:
Quoting jbmitt (Reply 16): I would think that over a career a pilot on the MD88/90, 737, 757 would have made it to nearly every mainline city. Can anyone else chime in?
It depends on how he bid and what his seniority could hold over the years. It is entirely possible to see every city your company serves, but it is equally as possible to see the same two or three places if you are senior enough and choose to do so.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21683 posts, RR: 23 Reply 19, posted (3 months 1 week 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 7561 times:
Quoting futureualpilot (Reply 21): Quoting jbmitt (Reply 16):
I would think that over a career a pilot on the MD88/90, 737, 757 would have made it to nearly every mainline city. Can anyone else chime in?
It depends on how he bid and what his seniority could hold over the years. It is entirely possible to see every city your company serves, but it is equally as possible to see the same two or three places if you are senior enough and choose to do so.
There was an article a few years ago about a senior CO captain. He chose to fly IAH-AMS-IAH and did almost nothing else for several years.
Mir From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 19814 posts, RR: 56 Reply 21, posted (3 months 1 week 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 6953 times:
Quoting rwy04lga (Reply 19): Isn't the 65 rule age discrimination? As long as he passes the medical, he should be allowed to continue flying.
The industry needs the turnover. Congratulations to him on a great career, but there are a lot of people who have been waiting patiently for years just to be able to step onto the ladder in this industry.
-Mir
7 billion, one nation, imagination...it's a beautiful day
cornutt From United States of America, joined Jan 2013, 228 posts, RR: 1 Reply 22, posted (3 months 1 week 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 6837 times:
Quoting jbmitt (Reply 16): Was anyone else surprised that in 37 years he only landed at 95 different destinations?
That does kind of surprise me, considering that Delta used to have a lot of "bus stop" routes that landed at every little burg with a strip along the way. If you flew ATL-BHM, you'd have stops at Rome, Gadsden, and Anniston. Pull up to the gate, run people out, run people in, and away again. 20 minutes or so on the ground for each stop. It probably wasn't unusual for a crew member to see 15 different airports in a duty day.
It wasn't that long ago that on Sundays, Delta's mid-afternoon ATL-DFW run still made a stop in Monroe. One of the FAs told me that it was Delta's way of remembering their roots. The airport, from what I could see out the aircraft window, looked like a time capsule from about 1960.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21683 posts, RR: 23 Reply 24, posted (3 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 6219 times:
Quoting Mir (Reply 25): Quoting rwy04lga (Reply 19):
Isn't the 65 rule age discrimination? As long as he passes the medical, he should be allowed to continue flying.
The industry needs the turnover. Congratulations to him on a great career, but there are a lot of people who have been waiting patiently for years just to be able to step onto the ladder in this industry.
And he got 5 more years than when the age 60 rule existed. He must have turned 60 just about the time the age 60 rule was changed to 65
25 mayor: As I mentioned earlier, when I worked in SHV in the early 80s, we still had a couple of flights that used that original "AM24" mail route that DL sta
26 johnclipper: But when you only work a few days a month, it's more of the luck of the draw if you are not sick on your "off days". Don't think I would want to be o
27 srbmod: By the time he started as a pilot at DL in 1976, a lot of the smaller cities like Rome, Gadsden and Anniston had already seen service from airlines l
28 777STL: Exactly, and he was likely bidding whatever he wanted fro much of his career given his high seniority. Even when he didn't have high seniority, DL wa
29 cjg225: Enjoy retirement, sir. You've earned it.
30 SkyTeamTriStar: According to RA phone message, this week, Cal has flown every plane is JET AGE fleet.
31 mayor: I wonder if he flew the CV880, though. By the time he started flying in '76, the 880s were already put out to pasture, I believe. Regardless, an impr
32 Norcal773: Impressive career indeed, how cool! If anyone watched the BA38 feature on the Discovery channel (I think it was the discovery channel but I could be w
33 Type-Rated: You are close. The terminal that was in use during the last of Delta mainline in Monroe was opened in June, 1964. For some reason that airport always
34 saab2000: I had on my jumpseat a few years ago a US AIrways pilot who is very senior on the 767 and chooses to only fly PHL-MUC (or FRA - don't remember which
35 srbmod: No photos in the database for DL's 880s beyond 1973. The Delta museum lists the retirement of the type from the DL fleet as January 1974. http://www.
36 mayor: As I recall, the fuel shortage of '73 was probably the death knell for the 880 and probably accellerated the deliver of new 727s.
37 barney captain: Completely agree. Either this was the single healthiest individual ever created, or he flew sick. Not cool.
38 catiii: Some of the posts on this thread regarding whether or not Cal flew while sick remind me why I rarely post on here anymore. Anyway, for those of us tha
39 SPREE34: A few in here could use some of Capt. Flanigan's Class.
40 Highflier92660: While it was a long time ago that Captain Cal Flanigan was hired as a pilot in 1976, even then Delta Air Lines was more than just a small southern car
41 maxpower1954: It was a non-stop DC-8-51 LAX-SJU in 1972 according to Departedflights.com. Yes, the reference to a "small Southern carrier" would fit Southern or Pi
42 skycub: Can someone please explain to me.... We have an entire thread dedicated to this retiring Delta pilot.... Yet.. the thread about Southwest's Brian Lusk
43 mayor: Well, when I hired on in '71, I thought of them as a small southern carrier (relatively). We didn't start to really fill out our route map, to SLC/SE
44 flight152: Not really much of an accomplishment. More then likely he flew sick at least a few times which isn't exactly desirable unless you work in accounting.
45 mayor: Your entire post reeks of "ageism", which is pretty sad. All the other posts that have disregarded Capt. Flanigans accomplishment, are "assuming" tha
46 DL_Mech: Most DL threads on this forum routinely get 100+ replies. I expect this one will also....... The Brian Lusk thread was moved twice, sending it to "si
47 NWAROOSTER: The pilots and ALPA got the mandatory retirement age raised from 60 to 65 with a lot of effort. A flight engineer or second officer could previously
48 Mir: Somehow it's not ageism when it's the younger groups that are being screwed over. Curious, that. It's not even a question that it is making it harder
49 mayor: Funny that only people that have no respect for those that have gone before them, think they're getting screwed over. Nothing curious about that.....
50 davs5032: It's still an accomplishment, if you can think about it outside the small scope you've chosen to focus on. It shows he's incredibly devoted to his pr
51 Mir: You must have missed the part where I congratulated him on a great career. It is possible applaud his accomplishments and still be happy that the ind
52 mayor: If I am, it means you've broken your pattern. Congratulations
53 futureualpilot: Agreed. No, we generally have a tremendous amount of respect for those who went before us. We learn from them, can build off of what they've built fo
54 mayor: Regardless of the age change, do you actually think that those that went before you didn't have to wait on those ahead of them back then? Do you thin
55 lightsaber: Congrats to the Captain. To say the least, he's earned his pension. As others noted, he has earned and I wish him 'blue skies.' http://www.usatoday.co
56 futureualpilot: No, in fact I know they did. Nowhere do I say they did not. In fact in the quoted text I reference their career progression via mandatory retirement
57 NWAROOSTER: This post was and should be about congratulating and wishing Captain Flanigan well for his "Successful career at Delta." It should not be about the b
58 catiii: Neither is accurate. #1 on the seniority list now is DTW 744 CA P.R. Haley.
59 mayor: Then, why the complaints? No matter the job with the company, everyone has to start at the bottom and work their way up. I never complained about tho
60 lightsaber: Thank you. I was unable to find ex. NW seniority to the detail of the DL list. When does P.R. Haley turn 65? The reason I ask is trying to figure out
61 catiii: 58 pilots turn 65 in 2013, and 103 in 2014.
62 B747forever: How does it look around 2017-2020?
63 lightsaber: So 0.5% of the pilots in 2013 and 0.9% of the DL pilots in 2014. So much for the imminent pilot shortage... Lightsaber
64 catiii: Well first off, the new rules don't kick in until later this year, but there is an imminent pilot shortage. Just because Delta isn't necessarily seei
65 Caspian27: I think though that you're comparing apples and oranges. Yes most airline employees are in a seniority based employment system, however I'm not aware
66 mayor: Probably more like tangerines and oranges. If anything, since we didn't have a "mandatory" retirement age, there was a possibility that those above u
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