Winner of 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse

CONGRATULATIONS!

Winner Announced! 

I'm giving my car away as a gift to say THANK YOU to my readers. Tonight I drew the name. While there could only be one winner of the car, you are all winners in my heart. Therefore, I will be running another contest soon and giving away $1000, for all those who read the books and want to play Fact or Fiction and What has gone before. I will provide a clue each month. Details coming soon. 

THANK YOU ALL!!!

CONGRATULATIONS

TO the WINNER! 

TIME is Running Out!

FOR YOU TO WIN THE CAR!

THIS is a Classic. And I will draw one lucky winner!!!

I am giving my car away on August 31st!

 

Five days remaining in to get your entry in. Learn more about the car here. It's a collectors item (or will be soon). So, if you're in need of some summer reading, checkout the bookstore. Every purchase gets an entry because I am thanking my readers!  If you read on Kindle, just send me your info that you bought it, and I'll add you into the contest! 

From now until the drawing, anyone who purchases all the novels will get an extra 10 entires (17 total... unless you buy revenge then 18. If you want to purchase all of them and gift them to someone this Christmas, while you win the car), go to Flight To Success blog. (shipping is smarter on the blog than the website. But if you buy more than one on the website, I will refund your shipping that goes over the actual.) You can also pre-buy the newest book Flight For Revenge. I think it's my favorite. And I'm going to be running a contest for those who read all and will be giving $1000 as the grand prize.

There Are Seven Novels

Number Eight Is Complete 

Available for pre-orders:

Flight For Revenge, When there is no Justice. I'm also going to be giving a $1000 away for those who read the books with a contest to guess what is "fact or fiction" in the newest novel:

If are reading and hoping to win the car, you want to get one more entry in before the drawing and pre-order flight... Flight For Revenge, When there is no Justice  You'll get an entry now for a thank you... the book will be available November 2025. But Sunday you could have a chance to win the car! 

If Novels are not for you... I thank all those who are purchasing the Non-fiction too!! And You'll get an entry. Even audible or Ebook... send me the proof of order and you're in. 

DON'T FORGET THE KIDS!!

Best of luck in the drawing!!!

Thank you for your support!!!!

Flight For Revenge!

Revenge is Complete, and Coming Soon! 

All the novels that have gone before were based on truth, with real accidents, real events, and real people whose names were changed to protect my job. There was more truth than fiction in all of them. I had anticipated that Flight For Revenge would be the only book that would be 100% non-fiction. 

I was wrong! 

SPOILER ALERT: Only one of the bodies in this novel was at the pointy end of a knife. I call him shark bate. The others' demise were all far more creative. Death, torture, and gaslighting. Psychological torture as well as physical. I suspect a few of the characters might have wished for death instead of what they experienced. Who thinks this stuff up? Oh. Wait. I did!   

When there is no Justice, 

There is Revenge! 

Warning Airline Management: 

Beware! If you falsely accuse a pilot of mental instability, you might just might get what you ask for. When Global Air Lines called Darby crazy, they pulled her from duty. When they paid a doctor $74,000 to make her bipolar, the union told her that her career was over. While she never lost her medical, the airline prohibited her from flying. Even when the Mayo Clinic stepped in.

Darby Bradshaw embarrassed Global Air Lines in court, with win of the century. But they didn't learn their lesson. The airline appealed. She fought back. Then management escalated this game of chess to the highest level. Nobody is held accountable. Passenger safety be damned. Laws and regulations that are supposed to protect the public are worthless. When the legal system is a toothless tiger, and the FAA looks the other way then it's time to take action. 

While Global's appeal is in process, all those who participated in Darby's demise are being dealt with. One by one they are eliminated. This is a thriller that reads like a mystery. And the most fun "who done it" book you will ever read. Why is it fun? Because the bad guys get what they deserve, exactly how they deserve their punishment. What do you get? A great read! And a chance to win $1000. 

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN $1000 

All you have to do is read all the novels. Then, when you read Flight For Revenge, you will be asked to tell me all the facts that were in the previous books now brought forth in revenge. And then identify all the facts in the novels that are true. The person with the "most" facts correct will win $500. If you get them all, you win $1000. If there is a tie, then we'll do a drawing. Final details will come when Flight For Revenge is released. For now, read the books! Be ready. And pay attention. Take notes on what you believe to be true.  

Order all the books off the Flight To Success blog, as a package deal. Hardback on the top left margin, and paper on the right. Or go to KarlenePetitt.com bookstore and buy them individually. More so, if you order them before August 31, 2025 you will enter a chance to win a car. Details Here. More you buy, the more chances you have to win. You can also order via kindle, and just let me know that you purchased them and I'll add your name to the drawing for the car. 

Enjoy your summer reading!!! 

Aviation Industry Concerns

Is this the New World?

A couple days ago I received yet another letter with concerns regarding aviation safety. This came shortly after a Delta check airman voiced his concerns that Delta had changed their A330 manuals to an FCOM without adequate training. An FCOM is compilation of all manuals into one, where the information is difficult to access. I'm told all the company did was provide some online information, with plans to train everyone how to use it when they arrive to recurrent. The concern is, those who won't see recurrent for another 9 months will be using a product they have not been trained on.

I used the FCOM for the first time on the A350, and navigating the manual was more difficult than learning the systems. The explanation provide to me was we should select the tab per our knowledge level. If you know a great deal, select one tab for abbreviated information. If you average knowledge you could select a second tab that provided a little more information. If you had no clue, select the third tab to get a full explanation. But what if you don't know what you don't know? Gone are the good old days of looking up the systems in a systems manual. The reality is, this manual is a technicality now, more so than a useable product.

"Nobody knows where to go to find information"

Anonymous Pilot

  

Then another check airman wrote his concerns of the "One size fits all" door policy. Apparently the flight attendants wanted a universal policy for the door procedures. Inflight told flight operations to make it happen. Flight operations is doing just that, despite the A350 and a B737 being complete different configurations, and some (many) pilots are objecting.

Below is the letter I recently received. Should we be concerned with what's happening in this industry? I'm curious if this is ongoing at other airlines, too.

Dear Karlene,

Here are just a few things that have me highly concerned about going to work these days. These things are leading me to believe Delta is headed for a major accident. I’m not sure if this happening at other airlines but I feel the industry is headed in the wrong direction. I am not sure what to do. Any suggestions? Anything reported to Delta is all for the public and FAA show and is total hypocrisy.

Abysmal E-QRH roll out. Trained via QCQ last fall. Delayed because daddy D crashed the server putting their hands on it. Memory items change with little notice.

MCC in ATL is ignoring maintenance messages sent from the onboard aircraft reporting systems. Writing up a discrepancy under an improper MEL to keep the aircraft on time.

MCC giving out MELs before troubleshooting.

MCC have improper understanding of a malfunctioning aircraft system and therefore testing it improperly which leads to a cannot duplicate problem (eg. improperly checking a pressure regulating bleed valve with the APU…here’s a hint…you can’t properly check operation without running and engine.)

There is an incentive program for MCC in at least ATL that pays more for on-time departures. This has been verified with a former person from Tech Ops.

ATC:

Lying about weather and rides (eg. IAH lying about the ride through moderate and extreme precipitation calling it smooth then changing it to occasional moderate turbulence once you’re in it) it caused one of our aircraft to be hit by lightning.

 

Dispatch playing games with fuel and weather. (Eg. I have heard stories of them trying to bargaining fuel with the PIC on international flights…trying to give them 500LBS of fuel when they requested more.

STRESS

Failing to comply with paying people for overtime properly and then initially denying the claim. Verified from the Union.(It’s wage theft) And causes too much stress.

Crew tracking editing times to make people legal for duty…(eg. changing or not changing estimates in times for legal FAA rest).

Thanks for listening,

A concerned Delta Captain.

 

What do you think. Should we be concerned?

The Captain's Voice

“As a former 747 captain for Northwest Airlines,

Pam’s low-pitched voice served her well coming

from the flight deck to calm and reassure her passengers.”

Retired from flying Pam has been using her incredible voice to narrate audio books and so much more. You’ll have to listen to know how powerful her voice is. She is now recording all my books. The first is AIR21 Delta’s Debacle, Legal Lessons Learned and Shared to Save your Career and Improve Safety. And it’s just come live! A little taste of what you’ll hear.

Pam will bring all my books to life. She is the most amazingly talented woman in so many ways. To learn more about her and read her much deserved testimonials you can find her at The Captain’s Voice.

But today, get your copy of AIR21 Delta’s Debacle, Legal Lessons Learned and Shared to Save your Career and Improve Safety. on Audible!

This is a book that provides insight, wisdom, and legal education for any dispute. But more so, it will help improve aviation safety by making it safe for employees to speak out and improve operational performance. You, as the frontline employee, know what needs to be done to improve safety, maintenance, operational performance and so much more. When those in management don’t want to listen because money trumps safety, you need to protect yourself.

While you never think you’ll lose an engine, you train for it regardless. This is your training. But also, there is a chapter on how to survive emotionally and save your mental health when the attack tries to steal it.

Now Available In:

AUDIBLE

With audible you also get a free downloadable PDF attachment

KINDLE

PAPER With an Autograph

WIN A CAR

With every order you have the ability to win a car. Email me if you download the audible book or purchase the kindle so I’ll know to add you to the contest. If you buy off my website, I will automatically add your name. DETAILS HERE The drawing is getting closer! And we should have three more Audible books coming your way before we give away the car.

Enjoy the Journey! 

Flight To Success Blog

 Has Found a Website! 

I will still be keeping this site alive, because there are over 12 years of information is buried within. But, I don't want anyone to miss my posts... so here are some links to my writings.  

This is: DELTA's Effort to Silence Me

Why is Delta trying to silence me? Well, because I am deeply concerned  that James Graham, one of the two individuals I provided the safety report to in 2016, who subsequently paid a doctor to silence me, was promoted to CEO at Endeavor and exactly what I told him was going to happen has. You can read more on: Miracle at Toronto.

More than that, I have read two incredible memoirs: 

How not to fly a plane, and Ditching the Sky.

You can even visit my bookstore 

and Learn how to win a car! 

Enjoy the Journey and come find me at 

KarlenePetitt.com

Miracle In Toronto

The old saying,

“Any landing you walk away from is a good landing”

might be wrong.

I’m surprised that anyone survived this crash, but I am not surprised that this event happened. This was not an “if” but a “when.” This was a training issue that resulted in pilot error. Fast, no flare, they slammed into the runway. But if we don't properly train pilots to land in strong winds, or how to identify when to go around, or how to do so, because that might cut into executives profit, then we failed these pilots.

Why has Nobody Interviewed the CEO 

Captain James Graham?

Endeavor Air CEO James Graham

Substandard Training

In 2008 Delta and Northwest merged. In 2009 they formed a single operating certificate. In 2010, I experienced my first Delta training checkride, where the instructor did not give the federally required oral. He sat in the back of the simulator and texted instead of paying attention to the “new to” A330 pilots. He did not even give a debrief. He falsified training records. Why? Because as he said, “At Delta we have the power to do what we want.” He soon became a line check airman.

Meanwhile, in another Delta simulator a different instructor is telling Delta pilots, “Stop asking questions, be the monkey, hit the lever, get the banana.” Delta even provides answers to the written tests, computerized now, for rote memorization. To pass the test however, sometimes you have to answer incorrectly, because the test is wrong. Their training manuals for years said the Airbus A330 had a stick shaker. It does not.

Pilots who flow up to mainline Delta and cannot pass this training are allowed to return to their same captain position, at Endeavor. While I can only attest to facts of Delta’s substandard training to first-hand experience and trial testimony, I only have hearsay as to how bad Endeavor’s training is. The FAA will have to investigate that. But there is the problem.

Effort to Improve Safety

In 2014 I returned to school to earn a doctoral degree in aviation focused on Safety to figure out what the hell was going on at Delta. I learned of SMS and realized that Delta’s processes were violating Federal Regulations, and that substandard training led to the lack of understanding that resulted in accidents. During my defense, a professor said, “What do you think they will do now?” as a result of my findings. “They” being management and the FAA. But the FAA already knew, and management refused to invest in training and the FAA looked the other way.

In 2015 I heard Delta’s CEO, Richard Anderson at the time, speak on safety and reporting that conflicted with the Delta culture. Therefore, I requested a meeting with senior executives, Captain Steve Dickson and Captain James Graham to discuss my concerns. In 2015, Graham put in writing that he planned to send me into a psychiatric evaluation after our meeting went through. In 2016, four months later, Graham and Dickson met with me. Two months after that, they enacted the hit to have me removed, in the exact manner Graham had said that he would.

Safety Concerns

During trial, March 20, 2019, Captain James Graham, Delta’s SVP of flight operations at the time, not only perjured himself on multiple accounts during trial, but he proudly testified, “And Flight Operations, specifically, our ASAP program now has, for the year 2018, we were just over 25,000 reports that were brought forward from our pilot group!” That is not a metric to be proud of.

In my report to captains Dickson and Graham, I expressed my deep concern that pilots could not fly based upon what Captain Dempsey, Delta’s Chair, Human Factors Working Group, told me. He had departed an airport heading to Atlanta, but he lost his auto flight system on takeoff. Dempsey continued to fly to Atlanta, but requested a block altitude, meaning the pilot is unable to fly a specific altitude so they need more airspace. He also flew into RVSM airspace, an altitude that requires an autopilot due to close separation of 1000 feet from other traffic. Upon arrival, Dempsey declared an emergency because ATC refused to provide a block altitude for their arrival phase. He used the emergency card for something that was not an emergency. The Training Department used this as an example of “workload management” and created a training video telling pilots to declare an emergency if they, too, lose their auto flight system.

The problems with this video were many. The FAA and office of inspector general were working to convince pilots to hand fly due to an endemic loss of hand-flying skills. However, this training video stated that hand-flying was an emergency procedure. The worst part of all this was I reached out to Dempsey about this event, and he told me that, “Delta as a group, cannot fly Level 0, nor can we fly Level 4, so says ASAP.” Level 0 is when there’s no automation engaged, complete manual flight, and that would be no flight director, auto thrust, autopilot. Level 4 is a fully automated aircraft. Delta did not train their pilots but suggested they declare an emergency if they lost their autopilot.

Dempsey emailed me that a Delta Boeing 737 on final in ATL in IMC, meaning they were in the clouds, and at 700 feet the pilots decide to go around but hit the auto throttle button instead of go-around button and the flight director stayed in approach mode. Neither pilot noticed that the pitch was 3 degrees and power was at 56% N1 power, those were not the pitch and power settings for a go around. They should have been approximately 12 degrees up and 90% power. Dempsey said that they didn’t even have the situational awareness to look beyond the flight director and recognize something was wrong. They got to 186 feet, with over 2,000 feet per minute descent, before going around, as the warning systems wailed in the background. Passengers on that flight came within seconds of dying.

Did these pilots attempt a go-around and push the wrong button? That might explain why they did not flare. I am not saying this is what happened, but the thought occurred to me rewriting this event. The NTSB will hopefully answer that question.

The Safety Presentation

Captain James Graham invited me to give a safety presentation as part of his ploy to have me removed, despite already having removed me for mental health concerns because I reported safety. I explained to Captain John Tovani, the director of training, at that presentation, that 90% of my concerns were training related. Yet Delta did nothing but pay a doctor $74,000 to diagnose me as bipolar. The short version of how this ended can be read in the Seattle Times article.

While Dickson was the FAA administrator, awaiting Delta’s appeal, the file regarding Delta’s violation of order for violating duty times regulations disappeared. I have the FOIA response that it existed, but the FAA sanitized Delta’s culpability. Dickson resigned within days of Delta losing their appeal.

Captain James Graham Credibility Assessment by ALJ Judge Morris:

“The Tribunal further questions the candor of Captain Graham’s testimony at various points and occasionally found his testimony to be incredible. In particular, the Tribunal gives little credit to his statements that Complainant’s safety report had no bearing on his decision to refer Complainant for a Section 15 evaluation.” (Decision and Order pg. 71).

“Tribunal accepts as proven—the many inconsistencies in his testimony between his deposition and his hearing testimony. Compl. Br. at 40-42. The sequence of events left the Tribunal with the impression that Captain Graham harbored little if any tolerance for criticism of the organization he ran, especially criticism from a line pilot like Complainant.” (Decision and Order pg. 71).

“The two key actors involved here are Captain Graham and Mr. Puckett. They were the parties moving the pieces in the chess game in which Complainant found herself an unwitting player.” (Decision and Order pg. 99)

Endeavor Air CEO, Captain James Graham

Endeavor Air CEO James Graham

Please answer the question.

How is it possible that Captain James Graham could possibly become Endeavor Air’s, Delta’s wholly owned subsidiary, CEO?

Pilot training under his leadership at Delta was substandard, and when a pilot tried to speak out, with an internal safety report, he violated federal regulations and retaliated. I never lost my first class medial, despite a bipolar diagnosis, but Dr. Altman forfeiting his medical license. Beating Delta in trial and appeal, Dickson retired early from the FAA. Yet how is Captain Graham allowed to be the CEO of Endeavor Air as a result of his actions?

No, I am not surprised that this Delta plane crashed in Toronto. I’m simply surprised that an accident has not happened sooner. The FAA is allowing Delta and Endeavor to do whatever they want to save money; training be damned. These pilots, while their error caused the crash, are every bit a victim to FAA approved substandard training. The CEO, Captain James Graham, and FAA are fully responsible.

Impacting Change Where we Can

In that the FAA never enacted change, despite what we learned in my doctoral research I wrote the book, Normalization of Deviance, a Threat to Aviation Safety to educate the public of what is happening worldwide.

In that nobody was held accountable at Delta for their retaliatory actions, despite their loss in federal court, including Graham, Dickson and the Delta CEO, Ed Bastian, I wrote a book to help encourage employees to safely report, and how to use the law to protect themselves, Delta's Debacle, Legal Lessons Learned and Shared to Save your Career and Improve Safety. Safety is contingent upon employees reporting safety concerns.

I'm uncertain what else I can do, but enough is enough. If substandard training worldwide is not improved, then we will see more of these accidents. This time we got lucky, but safety should not be based upon luck.