This would scare the living shit out of me. If a pilot told me to spend the flight time talking to others about my personal relationship with God, then of course I'm going to think he's a psycho, possibly planning on taking down the plane! Some of you may think I'm overreacting, but I sincerely think I would be mildly traumatized by it. Certainly it's a lot worse than the eeny-meeny-miny-mo incident, and there are bound to be lawsuits. Lawyers have probably already contacted the passengers.

**shudder** It just freaked me out a little bit when I read this.

Isn't this what the pilot usually says on Egypt Airlines right before he screams, "Praise, Allah" and nose dives into the ocean?

Coincidentally, an Advocate editor was on board, and interviewed the pilot, Roger Findiesen, after the flight had terminated at JFK.

Last month, an on-duty, uniformed American Airlines pilot gave the finger to Brazilian immigration personnel. A $13,000 fine failed to put a smile on his face. Then there was the guy a couple of years ago who denied boarding to an Arab-American Secret Service agent, and made a big, paranoid scene about it.

Stable bunch, these AA pilots.

[ February 09, 2004, 06:08 PM: Message edited by: redsoxbreath ]

My thought exactly.

Max Allen, I'm with you. I would have been having sex in the bathroom thinking it might be the last thing I'd be doing in this life. wink

Just joking, but I would certainly be expecting the worst.

Well I sent AA Customer Service an e-mail expressing my concerns over this issue. Living in Dallas, and American being based @ DFW, causes me to have no choice but to fly them sometimes.

I would NEVER be comfortable being on this guy's flight. What if he decides a mechanical malfunction should be left in God's hands as opposed to following proper protocol? He should never be allowed in the cockpit again, but I'm sure there will be plenty of religious fanatic legal help if American even tries to pull him out.

He should bow out and go do mission work if he's got such a "calling", IMHO.

LOL !!! Thanks for helping me see the lighter side of this.

The interview with the pilot, posted above, makes the whole thing just that much more creepy... eek!

[ February 09, 2004, 08:51 PM: Message edited by: maxallen ]

I don't know what's worse--having to listen to this captain's orders about religion or being forced to talk to the person sitting next to me on the plane. Argh! eek! eek!

My rather painful "first time" was with a middle-school classmate who's now ... you guessed it ... an AA pilot. Who brought his girlfriend (who, I think, lives with him) to the most recent HS reunion. I've never figured out if he's in the closet or was just "experimenting" back in 8th grade (he initiated everything) ... let's just say we haven't been "close" enough for me to want to bring it up.

I agree with you 100%, HornFan!....however, based upon what American Airlines has said (at least publicly, anyway) any reprimand or punishment that this pilot receives "will be handled internally" and will NOT be released to the media for "confidentiality reasons"....while this does not mean that such information won't ultimately get leaked to the press it still concerns me that American Airlines is taking such a low key approach to what in my opinion is a VERY serious matter.

I have never been a big fan of American Airlines anyway but, if given a choice, I will definitely avoid flying AA in the future if, for no other reason, than to avoid the odd chance that this psycho is at the controls of a flight where I happen to be a passenger....perhaps if enough passengers voice similar concerns to the airline's execs in DFW then they will "reexamine" the facts and take more serious action to ensure that this nutcase is not ever in the cockpit again.

[ February 10, 2004, 05:32 PM: Message edited by: gamecock ]

"Tell me all your thoughts of God 'cause I'm on my way to see him..." isn't what you really want to hear from your pilot.

Just MORE reason to fly JetBlue now...

I sure hope this pilot was armed - having to put up with a plane full of godless heathen sinners...

This is what happens when Bob Crandall gets religion!

I'm branding the name "Captain Roger Findiesen" in my brain. If I'm ever on a plane and see or hear that name involved with the crew, I'm so off of that thing one way or the other. eek!

BTW, Anybody know how that last name is pronounced?