The Sunday after "CrowdStrike Day", I was flying from Minneapolis to home. We didn't have a copilot, so it looked like we were not getting out of town until the following Wednesday. That's right, all the flights home were cancelled/booked and the earliest was Wednesday. We sat from noon until 9:00PM, when a Delta Air Lines pilot, who was deadheading home on a flight at an adjacent gate, and after hearing what was going on, volunteered to copilot our flight. It took a couple of hours of their operations center to approve the move, but when they did, we got off the ground and home.
I've thought about that a lot recently. How that pilot was engaged in Delta's mission. Things were bad, and he could help. So he chose to. Others might have taken the opportunity to just head home and get out of the craziness. Others might not have not have put two and two together to see how they could have made a difference in that situation. In the end, what Delta Air Lines and that pilot did not only got us home, but it changed my mind about the airline from neutral to positive.
I have seen some behaviors and comments about younger generations being skeptical and jaundiced to working for organizations. Doing only the required work, and being vigilant that the organization they work for not overstep. To a degree, I am okay with that. I believe in the fair value exchange for labor. I do work, you gimme money.
But there comes a point where you have to realize that stepping up is good for the well being of the organization and your rewards & future with it. If that pilot passes on the flight and tucks in at home, there's ~200 people and their families that might not choose that airline first anymore. Multiply that over 100 to 1000 pilots, and it starts to make a real difference to the fortunes of the organization that provides your income.
Finding that balance, and being an organization that holds true to its values regarding work life balance will ensure that you have the reserve of commitment that Delta Air Lines had that night in Minneapolis.
Many thanks to the crew and ground support staff in Minneapolis. Y'all were champs that day.
Nice move with the pizza.....