Sunwing pilot fired over fried chicken and watermelon order sent to Black supervisor
Posted by No_Magazine9625@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 146 comments
NAVATC@reddit
He’s the only captain I ever flew with who would start deploying the speed brake or start extending flaps without asking me first. He’d just do it.
Numerous times on descent I couldn’t understand why I was needing more power than expected. Then I’d look over and his hand was on the speed brake or he put out Flaps 1 without my knowledge.
Accommod8me@reddit
That's more than worrying. Seems like CRM wasn't even in his vocabulary which would make me a bit nervous as a passenger.
Though I'll take him as the execution and hopefully not the rule
flightist@reddit
He’s a cunt.
There are other guys I didn’t enjoy flying with. There will be others.
Wouldn’t say that about anybody else.
Lopsided_Tiger_0296@reddit
Aren’t you supposed to report things like that
flightist@reddit
“Hello Mr. Chief Pilot? Yes, I don’t like the guy nobody else likes.”
I’m not sure what exactly you’d expect that to accomplish.
Lopsided_Tiger_0296@reddit
No, the stuff he does in the plane without telling you. That’s poor communication and might affect the landing
flightist@reddit
That wasn’t me. Never saw any of that, but certainly not the first time I’ve heard about it.
keyboard_pilot@reddit
Just to add more drama to this
Was he OG sunwing or a teal guy? XD
flightist@reddit
He never made it to teal
T33-L@reddit
And how many times did you report that, if it happened numerous times?
Chaxterium@reddit
You mean when he was PM?? Jesus Christ. That would be an immediate unfriendly discussion followed by an immediate email to the chief.
NuclearDC10@reddit
Always fascinating to hear someone like that became a Captain.
mollyyfcooke@reddit
Boots on the ground! Thank you for your insight lol dude seems like a real winner!
jcla@reddit
Lol...I knew his terrible judgement wouldn't just be limited to his post flight meals.
Madeitup75@reddit
Speaking as a honky, fried chicken and watermelon are both delicious.
En4cr@reddit
It’s unfortunate that food is used as a racial thing because If I could eat fried chicken and watermelon every day I’d be over the moon. It’s just too damn delicious!
CurrentSkill7766@reddit
Context is everything in this episode. Food and music, in particular, are often misinterpreted as racism or bigotry when no intent was there. That said, this guy made it easy. The deeper you look at the details, the worse it gets. And it gets worse. I'm surprised ALPA suppported him.
cheetuzz@reddit
Ordering fried chicken at 1am, reasonable.
No one orders watermelon at 1am.
Pilot deserved to be fired.
Madeitup75@reddit
Oh, dude, watermelon is great for the post-drink hangover prevention snack! Up there with slamming a Gatorade before bed! Especially if you throw a little salt on it.
Wingmaniac@reddit
You think this pilot was trying to get over a hangover on a layover?
Techhead7890@reddit
Main topic aside, the salt thing is pretty common in Asia. Might be more common around the west coast and stuff idk.
jello_sweaters@reddit
No, watermelon is actually pretty decent hydration.
But this guy's still a dick.
saml01@reddit
Speak for yourself. I don't care what time it is, if the watermelon is sweet I'm eating it.
CurrentSkill7766@reddit
Two things can be true.
Madeitup75@reddit
Yep. Not saying the guy in the story ain’t racist. Just sticking up for the merits of fried chicken and watermelon. Shame to see their reputation sullied this way.
PS Fuzzy Zoeller got rightfully blasted for almost the same exact thing when Tiger Woods was first on the PGA tour. Racist turd.
dman928@reddit
Agreed. Grape soda is also awesome.
Madeitup75@reddit
Collard greens. Cornbread. Hot link sausages. Sweet potato pie. All the stereotypical African American foods are f’ing delicious.
SapphireFlashFire@reddit
I recognize the racism. But it's funny that racists try to use these things as an insult.
Culturally your race eats some delicious foods! Take that!
pezaf@reddit
“Shame to see their reputation sullied this way”.
They did this to themselves, and in my experience, overtly racist acts like this are indicative of deep seated racism. Fuck this person.
usrdef@reddit
The fried chicken and watermelon did this to themself?
Damn, talk about victim blaming here, you just did a speedrun.
Sixguns1977@reddit
Their pronouns are "tasty" and "delicious ".
GoldenMaus@reddit
He was referring to the reputation of tasty fried chicken and watermelons
Madeitup75@reddit
I’m so old that “their” is a plural possessive! Yes, I meant both watermelon and fried chicken. I will defend the honor of these two culinary treats.
Racist jackoff can rot. F him.
As1anBeasTagE@reddit
r/woooosh
Sixguns1977@reddit
What did fried chicken and watermelon do?
stormdraggy@reddit
Baby you can't taste racism!
snakebite75@reddit
You can’t bring that back Randall.
Pol_Potamus@reddit
Exactly!
usrdef@reddit
As a imitation ghost, I'd have zero issue wanting some fried chicken and watermelon.
You can keep the non-alcoholic beer though. Don't like the taste. As long as the fried chicken is crispy, we're good.
rkmvca@reddit
When's the last time you tried? NA beer has gotten a lot better in recent years. Try Heineken 00.
I've cut down my alcohol consume a lot, and this was a nice surprise.
FrostingSuper9941@reddit
I tried a few, including Heineken, they all have a strange sweet after taste. But I can't argue that Mary Brown's is the best franchise for fried chicken in Canada.
usrdef@reddit
Well, I'll re-phrase.
I dislike the taste of the "typical" beers.
Bud Light, Budweiser, whatever Heineken's normal bottle is, and the other light beers.
The only beer I've found even remotely pleasant taste-wise is Guinness beer. It has a nice, dark, almost cocoa-like favor to it, and doesn't have the traditional "piss-water" taste.
Guinness I could drink and actually enjoy, but that's the only dark beer I've tried.
Antique-Dragonfly615@reddit
I'll go with the chicken, can't stand anything in the melon family
OhItsBeenBroughten@reddit
I like honeydew and cantaloupe but will not abide by watermelon.
Go_Loud762@reddit
Not even titties?
Antique-Dragonfly615@reddit
Take my f n up upvote.
NorCalAthlete@reddit
There used to be a food truck near me that did black/asian fusion food. My favorite item was a fried chicken & waffle breakfast burrito.
It was like…fried chicken, waffle, maple syrup, sriracha, bacon, eggs, potatoes, and I forget what else but it was delicious as fuck.
Boggie135@reddit
And the racist stereotypes of them being loved by black is also racist. Both things can be true at once
Sixguns1977@reddit
Same here. I'll have seconds of both.
keikioaina@reddit
Wait. So there's a Confederate Air Force to Sunwings pipeline?
RB211Thrust@reddit
It’s 2026, can we put the racist shit to bed? Good grief.
OwlShort5748@reddit
This conversation is making me want Fried Chicken and Watermelon damn it.
FantasticFinance6906@reddit
What is wrong with people? SMH.
jcla@reddit
Fredericton is a tiny city. This dude got fired because he was pissed about the hotel he was in, and he wouldn't pay $5 for his own cab to go grab food where he wanted to, so instead he sent off a racist email and copied a ton of other people just to rub his supervisors face in it.
Amazingly stupid.
PointOfFingers@reddit
He sent the email 5 hours later at 1am and then he and his union tried to argue it was a serious food order for shops that were closed. His claim it wasn't racist was undermined by the fact there was no other reason for sending that email.
GregMilkedJack@reddit
His union is required to represent him. They admitted that his order was trying to be racist, and their goal was to maintain his employment after he completed sensitivity training. Their entire purpose is to maintain their members' employment, so don't go acting like they somehow share any responsibility in this.
Facts_pls@reddit
You know, unions don't have to blindly take the employee's side. Right?
Unions are for collective bargaining. Not defending heinous acts by individual employees.
If a union does this repeatedly, then the union has lost its purpose and should be dissolved. (like police unions)
GregMilkedJack@reddit
They didnt take his side, they tried to negotiate a different course of action in attempts to keep him employed. That is their job.
Unions are for collective bargaining, and representing their members in work place grievances. They didn't defend a heinous act, they tried to negotiate a different outcome. And it's not a "heinous act"; it's a fucked up thing to do, but you act like he murdered his boss.
You dont have any idea what youre talking about, youre just here to spew performative outrage. Everyone is applauding how moral you are, now move along.
DrSendy@reddit
Yeahm typical headline baiting. Real headline is "guy gets fired for being a serial a-hole".
The media have zero clues about HR works.
StuntID@reddit
How is it headline bait?
Anyone with a lick of knowledge would know the fried chicken and watermelon was an overt racist provocation.
I'm feeling old, get off my lawn you whipper snappers
withateethuh@reddit
Its only bait if the guy your replying to doesn't think racism is a big deal. Theres a lot of jobs where you can be an asshole, but few that will keep you if you're on the record saying racist shit.
StuntID@reddit
Indeed
sourcefourmini@reddit
I don’t know, I didn’t read anything from the headline except “wow that guy sounds like a serious a-hole”
flightist@reddit
He is.
Source: I’d know.
T33-L@reddit
You’d know because you know him personally, or just because you know that when someone does what he did then they’re an a-hole?
flightist@reddit
Unfortunately it is the former case.
T33-L@reddit
Worrying that you’re not the first commenter who knows and/or has worked with him, and confirms that he’s an ass. How has it taken this long for him to get sacked?!
flightist@reddit
I mean, being a terrible human being isn’t a fireable offence until it is.
jcla@reddit
The National Post is out right wing paper up here and is owned by a US private equity fund with ties to the Republican Party so this is the best they will do.
back_that_@reddit
Too bad they don't lie about the residential schools. Then they'd really be credible.
jello_sweaters@reddit
Don't worry, you get your wish; they frequently post nonsense denying the residential schools were actually all that bad.
back_that_@reddit
What nonsense?
jello_sweaters@reddit
I don't know of another Canadian major-media outlet that gives half as much airtime to conspiracy theorists who want to pretend the residential schools were fine.
Maybe Rebel Media, but I don't count them as serious adults.
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back_that_@reddit
And Rebel Media, are those the ones who accurately called out lies from the CBC?
If they're not serious adults but they're the ones who aren't lying then who are serious adults?
Are the serious adults the ones who are lying?
back_that_@reddit
How many graves were found at Kamloops?
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back_that_@reddit
What? A paper is bad if they're owned by bad people but not bad if they lie?
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VanTaxGoddess@reddit
And damn do they go to bat for white sUpReMaCiSts every chance they get!
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Dr_soaps@reddit
Still fired without cause dude probably got severance being a racist Asshole is a dick move, but it isn’t something you can fire somebody for legally without paying a severance package. At most, this would be a write up so they could establish pattern for dismissal
flightist@reddit
You won’t find many unionized airline pilots being fired without cause after their probation period ends.
FrostingSuper9941@reddit
In what country is being a racist a-hole to a co-worker behavior that doesn't cause you to get fired with cause? Definitely not in Canada.
T33-L@reddit
Fired without cause? Bro, that’s what this article is about. He filed a grievance as he believed he’d be fired without cause. It was found that actually there was cause. Being a racist asshole absolutely is something you can fire somebody for.
jcla@reddit
He was terminated, almost certainly for cause. Sunwing argued in front of the labour adjudicator that this was serious misconduct. The adjudicator agreed.
He was suspended without pay during the investigation, so it's very unlikely they gave him a package. They fired him for cause. He went to arbitration to try and overturn that and failed.
dw444@reddit
It’s not that tiny. It’s 80-90k people.
jcla@reddit
Not trying to insult the good people of Freddy. You can get from one side to the other in ten minutes at night. It's not big 😄
And there is definitely no chicken and watermelon options at 1am...
the_jukes_of_asbury@reddit
There’s barely *any* options at 1 AM. Even on the weekend.
Yes Luna’s Pizza is open then. But that’s only good when you’re drunk.
FreeWilly1337@reddit
Was it Mary Browns or KFC?
v_v_v_v_v_v__v@reddit
If it had been fish & chips with cantaloupe this could have been avoided
DublinLions@reddit
It's amazing. I spent all those years demonstrating my ability to fly an aircraft and passed ATPL exams, yet idiots like this still seem to slip through the cracks and are allowed to fly
withateethuh@reddit
He literally failed upwards lol
Booouurns@reddit
It's SO EASY to not be a racist dickhead, and yet some people can't help themselves.
DaimonHans@reddit
Am I the only one finding it absurd that fried chicken and watermelon sent to a black person is racist.
bakermaker32@reddit
Yes you are alone in this.
EgregiousArmchair@reddit
/r/notthebeaverton
Big_OOOO@reddit
In a career in which judgement and the ability to keep level headed is prized, this guy let anger get the best of him.
Boggie135@reddit
And he waited two hours
DeedsF1@reddit
Imagine if he sent off an email in the heat of the moment?! Ouuf!
Boggie135@reddit
Right?
jello_sweaters@reddit
This.
Even if the obvious racism were to be set aside - which of course it shouldn't - it took this dick HOURS to still fail to get his emotions under control, which is a poor quality in an airline pilot.
Human-Departure-9717@reddit
🎶Sun-wing dot ca!🎶
ctrl_alt_jb@reddit
Friend of mine was a pilot at Sunwing. Hos words and I quote "I knew that guy, he was indeed a piece of shit"
flightist@reddit
If you can find anybody who thought otherwise, I’d be shocked
CrashSlow@reddit
Mary Browns fried chicken is Newfoundland fried chicken for those not familiar.
sigmaluckynine@reddit
Thought that's a Toronto brand. Really good too
FrostingSuper9941@reddit
Nope it's from the east coast and definitely Canada's best fried chicken franchise.
HogtownLawyer@reddit
When Tiger Woods first won the Masters, an older pro and past champion asked whether the champions dinner would be fried chicken and watermelon. That older white guy who said it (Fuzzy Zoeller i think) got absolutely torched by the media and others for it…same exact racist trope as this pilot. It genuinely hurt Tigers feelings, having spent years facing racism only to reach the top and still find such nasty racism.
Excellent_Hair8666@reddit
Bruh. Lmao.
Own_Peace6291@reddit
I'm really curious what he did end up eating that night, if anything.
slutty_muppet@reddit
If this guy really was complaining about lack of transportation to restaurants for two and a half hours, that's the same amount of time it would have taken him to use public transportation to get from the Fredericton airport to Mary Brown's and back.
T33-L@reddit
Also worth assuming that the guy earns more than enough to pay for it himself!
ThatOneGayDJ@reddit
This is so juvenile, are we sure it wasnt a middle schooler
flightist@reddit
This POS would make that an insult to middle schoolers.
Ok-Experience-4470@reddit
I don’t know man it’s like getting fired for sending an Indian food order to your Indian boss lol
jello_sweaters@reddit
pueraria-montana@reddit
“oh no not the consequences of my actions”
Big-Improvement7427@reddit
Can the flight attendant still ask the passengers chicken or beef, or just hand out the beef
Jettyboy72@reddit
Good.
sLXonix@reddit
Please read the full article before judging. The headline isn't enough information and the pilot was clearly being racist to his supervisor.
back_that_@reddit
If the headline is true then it's enough information.
Hour_Analyst_7765@reddit
The mentioned food items was clear enough to me this was very racist.
Unfortunately. Met and abandoned plenty of people that think highlighting those things is funny.
Guardsred70@reddit
I used to do a presentation every few years to at my professional society’s annual meeting titled: “How to lose your job in 30 seconds or less.”
What a dumbass. Can’t believe the Union had to try to deal with this. You imagine how that convo started, “He said what? In an email?”
flyingcanuck@reddit
I get the point of unions and am very pro labour
But in cases like this, it's hilarious to see them having to defend the pilot's actions.
"Racist asshole acted as such....ALPA has filed a grievance for his dismissal"
😅😅
teapots_at_ten_paces@reddit
It's weird that a union can't be like insurance.
"Yes, you paid your fees, but you fucked up and we are not giving you anything."
GregMilkedJack@reddit
They absolutely do that. They have their own bylaws and rules and can fine, suspend, or even expel members. But if a member makes a grievance and there is some doubt, they will do what they can to maintain the members employment.
aya_rei00@reddit
Depends on how horrible the offense was and the union.
Traditional-Air-3787@reddit
He probably set up a go fund me page....
stevecostello@reddit
He'll be the next FAA Administrator.
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DashTrash21@reddit
Sunwing was a Canadian airline, so no they won't be.
Claudeadolphus@reddit
Can someone explain how emailing a food order works? He is sitting in a hotel and emails his supervisor to get dinner? Sorry but I am not getting it.
DeathCabForYeezus@reddit
What I think happened (although it's not super clear) was that buddy asked for transportation from the airport hotel to town to be comped so he could go to town to get food.
Management said no, and he (likely) had some back and forth. Then (again, doing a little reading between the lines) probably figured that if he wasn't going to get transport provided to go to town, he was going to stick it to management by "placing" his food order with them since he was "trapped" without transportation.
The whole thing is remarkably stupid, even ignoring his racism. If he thinks the company isn't holding up their end of the union agreement, go get your dinner however you please and then grieve it through the union and get your $25 in cab money back.
Instead dumb fuck McGee decided he was going to stew about it, write a nastygram, and nuke his incredibly lucrative career.
And even after he got his ass fired, he just couldn't walk away with his tail between his legs and keep things quite. Now every time someone Googles his name, this is what they'll see.
Spandexcelly@reddit
It would probably take 2-3 yrs to see any money by way of a grievance.
Claudeadolphus@reddit
Thanks. I’m surprised the “system” isn’t already predetermined since this would happen many times a week? Arrive at airport, stay in hotel, solve problem of eating food. Shouldn’t that be pretty well ironed out at any airport/hotel/city combination? (Not a Pilot)
DeathCabForYeezus@reddit
Generally meals are paid for by the pilot (they get a per diem for this) but union contracts can include clauses for comped transport if needed.
Consider a case where the hotel restaurant is closed and there's no other options within a 15min walk. Or if it's late at night because you had a midnight arrival and nowhere nearby is open. It would be kind of unreasonable for the company to send the pilot to a city, tell them to stay at a hotel, and then say they need to pay extra out of pocket for transport if they want to eat.
This pilot clearly thought that the bar for comped transport had been met, whereas management figured it hadn't.
Taking a look at the Fredericton airport, there's two nearby hotels and both of them have food options nearby. None are particularly upscale, but they get the job done and are more class than Mary Brown's
jcla@reddit
He sent the email at 1am. It wasn't a legitimate request, he was pissed and just wanted to express his racist disdain for having a black supervisor not cater to his needs for the past five hours. That's why he also copied a pile of other people.
The adjudicator saw right through his excuse and now he lost his airline pilot job and because he didn't just quietly slink away he now has made national news, which will show up for future employers.
Boggie135@reddit
Claudeadolphus@reddit
Yeah, sorry…. Maybe it’s just so stupid I don’t get it. The food choice on the order was obviously a farce…. But the idea that he was emailing an order? So he just cranked up an email that said “Hey Boss, this is my order. I am in my hotel room. Please give me food”. That’s it?
Winbot4t2@reddit
Wtf
GeraintLlanfrechfa@reddit
Good.
Some people just need to learn they can’t get away with everything.
Boggie135@reddit
Frostsorrow@reddit
The Maritimes are notoriously racist so this doesn't surprise me one iota.
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