heads up - air line pilots association, international...may 2012 air line pilot 5 aviationmatters...

May 2012 Air Line Pilot 1

HEADS UP:FT/DT Progress &

Clarifications Page 23

Global Issues on The Horizon

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We Want Photos from The LineThe ALPA Facebook page is getting a facelift using your photos. Send your best pictures—taken in accordance with FARs, CARs, and company policy —from the airport or in the sky, and you could see them posted on the We Are ALPA Facebook page and on The FlightDeck. Submit your quality images to [email protected].

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MAY 2012 • VoluMe 81, NuMber 4

About the CoverA view through the head-up display in cruise climb by F/O Michael Barrett (FedEx Express) symbolizes the heads-up ALPA provides members in this issue on the Known Crew-member program, FAA’s final rule on flight-and duty-time limits, plus the threats to pilots’ livelihoods that lurk over the horizon. To view a page-turning version of this issue, scan the QR code with your smartphone. New to this technology? Download a QR reader to your smartphone, scan the code, and read the magazine.

Air Line Pilot (ISSN 0002-242X) is pub lished monthly, except for the combined January/February and June/July issues, by the Air Line Pilots Association, Inter national, affili-ated with AFL-CIO, CLC. Editorial Offices: 535 Herndon Parkway, PO Box 1169, Herndon, VA 20172-1169. Telephone: 703-481-4460. Fax: 703-464-2114. Copyright © 2012—Air Line Pilots Association, Inter national, all rights reserved. Publica-tion in any form without permission is prohibited. Air Line Pilot and the ALPA logo Reg. U.S. Pat. and T.M. Office. Federal I.D. 36-0710830. Periodicals postage paid at Herndon, VA 20172, and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Air Line Pilot, PO Box 1169, Herndon, VA 20172-1169.Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40620579: Return undeliverable maga-zines sent to Canadian addresses to 2835 Kew Drive, Windsor, ON, Canada N8T 3B7.

COMMENTARY4 Take NoteFacts, Rumors, and Every-thing In Between

5 Aviation MattersEverything Matters: Ripped Straight from the Headlines

6 Weighing InIt Takes a Team

7 Guest CommentaryTime for U.S. to Take Action Against EU ETS

FEATURES16 Known Crew-member Set to expand

17 All Politics Is Global

21 AlPA’s 110th executive board Meeting: revisiting Structures and Practices to Confront New Challenges

23 one level of Safety: We’re Getting There

16

25 What You Need to Know About the New Proposed Pilot Certi-fication & Qualifica-tion requirements DEPARTMENTS

8 PreflightFacts, Figures, and Info

27 AlPA@WorkALPA’s Secretary-Treasurers Conference: Learning the As-sociation’s Financial Ropes; Summit of the Tech Chairs

30 AlPA ToolboxALPA Reverses Pilot’s Termination

32 opinionsThe Balance of Power

34 our StoriesGoing the Distance for Wounded Warriors

35 Health WatchNutrition and Exams for Eye Health

37 The landingDo You Need Me Now?

38 We Are AlPAALPA Resources and Contact Numbers

Eight additional potential KCM locations—DenverJohn F. Kennedy LaGuardia

Las VegasNewarkPhiladelphiaSalt Lake CityWashington National

34

25

4 Air Line Pilot May 2012

Wondering where Known Crewmember will be nextCheck out page 16 for the latest info on KCM.

Waiting on an update on thenew flight-time/duty-time ruleRead “One Level of Safety: We’re Getting There” (page 23) about the FAR Part 121 regulation and ALPA’s ongoing efforts to include cargo operations in the rule.

Keeping tabs on the global airline industryGo to page 17 and read “All Politics Is Global” to get a quick look at some of the top international issues that affect U.S. and Canadian pilots.

Curious to know what’s on the minds of ALPA’s safety expertsFlip to “ALPA@Work,” page 28, to find out what ALPA Air Safety Organization technical group chairs dis-cussed during their recent meeting.

Seeing the need to eat betterRead “Health Watch” (page 35) to learn about the role nutrition (and vitamin C) and regular eye exams play in optimizing your vision.

Determining how the new proposed pilot certification and qualification requirements will affect youGo to page 25 to read about it.

Wondering what ALPA does for the individual memberFind out how the Association got a Pinnacle captain’s job back in “ALPA Toolbox,” page 30.

Interested in hearing about one congressman’s perspective on the EU’s ETSTurn to page 7 to read “Time for U.S. to Take Action Against EU ETS.”

Feeling like you’re up the creek without a paddleRead “Our Stories” (page 34) to hear how a pilot man-aged to traverse a Florida river in his kayak to raise awareness and money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

HOW TO READTHIS ISSUEIf you’re...

Take NoteFacts, rumors, And everything In betweenOn March 27, the news media, YouTube, blogs, and our phones in the Communi-cations Department were taken by storm

when word—and video—of the JetBlue pilot incident went mainstream.

We all saw the videos, taken by passengers, that played over and over for days on end.

The news media frenzy around the incident is only the latest example of the power of social media.

Anyone can now be a reporter. For good or bad, the definition of a news source has changed.

Reporting news is a fiercely competitive business. In a grab for rat-ings, and at a time when we have many news sources committed to providing up-to-date stories 24/7, a sensa-

tional sound bite or startling statistic often carries more weight than

a simple fact. Sometimes rumors and opinions are taken at face value.

As communicators for the largest pilots association in the world, we are often forced to take on allegations, assertions, and flat-out lies about the profession. Our highly trained communications specialists, who work for you and the airline piloting profession, experience this phenomenon today more than ever and strive hard to counter misinformation with facts and reason.

While we all like to see ALPA on the front page of USA Today or The Wall Street Journal, I find one of the greatest challenges of our job is attempting to prevent inaccurate stories from ever being reported in the first place.

In this intensively competitive, 24/7 news environment, ALPA’s communica-tions team is committed to staying ahead of the curve and to capitalizing on every opportunity to promote the professional-ism and dedication of pilots to their airlines and to the passengers and cargo they safely transport each day.

Marie SchwartzDirector, ALPA [email protected]





AviationMatters

Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA President

everything Matters: ripped Straight From the Headlines“FAA urged to Adopt Fatigue rules for Cargo Pilots”—USA Today

“AlPA Hopes to lessen opposition to Cargo Carrier Fatigue bill”—Aviation Week

“bill Filed to Apply FAA Fatigue rules to Cargo Pilots”—The Hill

“Cravaack Introduces legislation to Keep Skies Safer”—Fox News

The morning after the Air Line Pilots Association, Interna-tional, hosted its “Closing the Gaps in Air Cargo Safety and Security Conference,” those headlines appeared as

top issues of the day. That says something. No airplanes fell out of the sky. No

isolated, sensationalized event occurred to give our profession a bad name. But one of our most relevant issues—One Level of Safety—was a hot topic of the day. We were competing with the final flight of the space shuttle Discovery and the news of Citibank shareholders rejecting an executive pay plan, and people still wanted to know what ALPA had to say. I’d say we’re making headway.

Now, does this happen as often as we’d like? Unfortunately, no. We don’t have the luxury of controlling the news media executives who are in round-the-clock, split-second competition for your mouse click, swipe of a finger, your choice of news feed, your subscription, and your willingness to come back.

But when you’ve got some momentum and you’re making some headway, you’ve got to continue to push and push hard. To create a conference that brought together the voices of such high-level government and industry participants is more evidence that ALPA is regarded as a key stakeholder in the aviation arena in Washington, D.C.

So we’ll use today’s momentum to achieve an ALPA success. By now, you’ve heard me use the phrase “leveling the playing field.” Today we’re talking about a critical safety issue for which we need to level the playing field.

Yesterday, it was calling upon the Obama administration to take action against the unbalance created by the EU’s emissions trading scheme. Tomorrow it might be about our efforts to reform aviation taxes—another badly skewed playing field. Next week, maybe the unfair competitive edge of the Persian Gulf airlines. It’s hard to comprehend just how many issues touch our profession. But we must be aware of and be engaged in all of

them so that we do what we can to level the playing field. Today, it’s One Level of Safety for cargo airline pilots. As

you’ll read in this magazine, the Safer Skies Act of 2012 was introduced on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill, if passed, would close the gap (or the gaping hole) that was left in the new flight-time/duty-time regulation passed in December 2011.

Despite being a win on many levels, the hole was established on the basis of a government cost-benefit study that considered only the financial merits of the rule, ignoring the fact that a pilot who transports cargo feels the effects of fatigue as quickly as a pilot who transports passengers.

We applaud Reps. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.) and Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) for their leadership in introducing this pro-pilot, bipartisan bill. We all hope that Congress takes up and passes the bill as swiftly as possible. Ensuring that the right messages are conveyed to the right decision-makers, ALPA pilots and staff are working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and across Capitol Hill to urge that the bill be passed in the name of safety.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, sends a stronger message than airline pilots in uniform knocking on the doors of members of Congress explaining why the exclusion of cargo operations does not make sense. It spits in the face of science and common sense. Your voices can be heard through our aggressive Call to Action. Please participate.

Yes, the introduction of a House bill is just a first step, but a very important one in achieving our goal. But I’m surrounded by relentless pilots and staff who will not waiver in their dedication to leveling the playing field for cargo pilots. I am confident that we will achieve success.

Because of the success that we’ve already seen from the cargo conference, and the laser conference last fall, we’re already making plans for one later this year that will focus on achieving One Level of Safety in pilot training. We will advance the concept that all pilots should receive the same quality of training regardless of the airplane they fly or the type of flying they do.

Our work is never done because the evolution of our industry continues. With new equipment, new companies, new rules from our governments, and integrating and harmonizing standards on an international level, we cannot let down our guard. ALPA pilot representatives and staff are always thoroughly involved in all matters regarding a safe and secure flight.

Together, let’s do our part to keep the news media headlines positive, highlighting the cooperative work of business, government, and labor to keep our skies the safest and most secure in the world.


As I write this article, the 2012 baseball season has been under way for less than a month, and

the St. Louis Cardinals have begun the defense of their 11th World Series championship. Anyone who follows baseball knows that it takes a team effort—everyone working together —to realize this

kind of success. Fans may have their individual heroes, but it’s the team that makes this kind of achievement possible.

As your ALPA vice president of finance/treasurer, I’ve been happy to report at this spring’s Secretary-Treasurers Conference and the recent Executive Board meeting the positive trends we see in ALPA’s recent financial performance. Though our economic situation is by no means robust, the Association’s finances have stabilized, and we are gradually rebuilding our reserves.

And, much like the Cardinals’ success, this progress is the product of a team effort. Our pilot groups and their committee volunteers, working together with ALPA’s staff professionals, national officers, and other union representatives, continue to find solutions to achieve their strategic goals—indeed, our collective goals—within the Association’s newly established financial policies and procedures.

Preliminary financial results for 2011 indicate that ALPA generated a surplus of more than $3 million at the master executive council (MEC) and Administration and Support (national) levels. Separately, we incurred net outlays of nearly $6 million from the Major Contingency Fund (MCF) for MEC

by Capt. randy Helling Vice President–Finance/Treasurer

It Takes a TeamWeighingIn

Thanks To The diligence of The enTire alPa Team, iTs suPPorT, and iTs conscienTious sTewardshiP of our members’ hard-earned dues dollars, our union is well PosiTioned To confronT These challenges head-on.

communications activities, insurance premiums, and litigation costs.

Based on recommendations from the Special Committee for Finance, Structure, and Services (SCFSS), ALPA’s Executive Board adopted key policy changes to streamline the Association’s spending limit policy, which determines how member dues income is allocated. The Executive Board also enacted a wide range of new policies—including ways to strengthen our MCF account, internal funding of the union’s local councils, and better management of ALPA’s Operating

Contingency Fund—to ensure that the Association uses its resources judiciously and effectively, while still providing the quality of services ALPA members have come to expect.

All of the financial policy changes that the Executive Board approved have been adopted. In addition, the Executive Council, at its April 2012 meeting, approved guidelines for MEC expenditures within MCF grants and budgets. These guidelines, which are a combination of past practice and new financial metrics, establish criteria and parameters related to the timing, magnitude, and breadth of MEC expenditures on communications initiatives (Strategic Planning Committee, Pilot to Pilot, and Family Awareness) in advanced stages of negotiations.

Action on other SCFSS’s recom-mended modifications to ALPA’s Consti-tution & By-Laws will be considered by the Board of Directors, which meets this October.

I want to thank the SCFSS team for its hard work; its responsiveness to the feedback, questions, and concerns we received throughout this process; its absolute commitment to ensuring our union’s continued financial strength; and for providing the most effective support to our pilot groups and our members as a whole.

I also want to announce the creation of ALPA’s new Resource and Planning Team, which was established to assist pilot groups preparing for collective bargaining. This group is available to work with your master executive councils to help your pilot group maximize the tools and staff expertise in the areas of finance, collective bargaining and contract enforcement, and communications—all available to you through ALPA.

As we look forward, we continue to face many challenges, including fuel costs, the evolving effects of globalization, unrest in the Middle East, bankruptcies, and airline consolidation. Thanks to the diligence of the entire ALPA team, its support, and its conscientious stewardship of our members’ hard-earned dues dollars, our union is well positioned to confront these challenges head-on.

Be assured that it will take teamwork. When the Cardinals took the field in their season opener this spring, they did so without their long-time manager and a certain MVP slugger. If the Cardinals want to have a shot at this year’s World Series, they will once again have to rely on a strong, team effort…just as I know that our union can rely on all of you to continue to stay engaged and support our collective efforts. Together, we can lead our profession toward a brighter future.


GuestCommentaryTime for u.S. to Take Action Against eu eTSrep. John Mica (r.-Fla.), Chairman, U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

while ProTecTing our environmenT is imPorTanT, aviaTion is a global indusTry and demands global soluTions, noT some revenue-generaTing scheme disguised as a benefiT To The environmenT.

The word “scheme” means “a secret or devious plan.” That defi-nition accurately describes the

European Union’s (EU) emissions trading scheme (ETS). Earlier this year, the EU began uni-laterally imposing its scheme on civil aviation opera-tors landing in or departing from the EU. Beginning in April 2013,

U.S. operators will be required to pay an emissions tax to the EU member state to which they most frequently fly. The ETS applies to the entire flight—including those parts outside EU airspace. The EU’s scheme is nothing more than an illegal cash grab deviously disguised as a program to address climate change.

While the EU claims that the ETS is the “cornerstone of the European Union’s policy to combat climate change,” there is actually no requirement in the law that the taxes collected be used to mitigate aviation emissions. Instead, member states can use the revenue for any purpose, including paying down their debt. So while this scheme claims to be “green,” it is in reality a fleecing. The EU has no right to tax outside of its borders, yet that is what the ETS will do. This violates the sovereignty of the United States and other nations.

Ironically, despite the fact that all 27 EU member states signed the Chicago Convention creating the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to promote understanding and security through cooperative aviation regulation, the EU argues that it is not a party to that treaty. The signatories, including all EU member states, agree that every state

has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory. The extraterritorial imposition of the ETS clearly violates that treaty, yet EU member states are pressing ahead to implement this illegal scheme.

It is difficult enough for airlines to make a profit and employ hundreds of thousands of dedicated workers without the EU adding an illegal tax that does not have to be used to improve aviation emissions. A U.S. trade association estimates that the EU emissions tax will

cost U.S. airlines and passengers more than $3.1 billion between 2012 and 2020—money that could support more than 39,200 airline jobs. Instead, this money will go to line the coffers of EU member states. Additionally, it is unclear whether the ETS will be evenly applied to all airlines. The EU could put U.S. airlines at a competitive disadvantage, resulting in further job losses.

Given these negative economic effects, it is especially aggravating that the EU’s scheme could actually take away from the desired environmental benefits. Through fleet investment and research and development efforts, the U.S. has seen a 15 percent drop in overall aviation emissions since 2000. Had those dollars been paid to an EU member state rather than invested in new technologies,

these benefits would not have been achieved. But that is exactly what will occur under the scheme.

Last December, the Obama admini-stration sent a letter to the EU warning of possible retaliatory actions should the EU continue to implement the ETS. While the Obama administration negotiates, China, India, and Russia are leading the international community by taking significant action, such as banning airlines from participating in the ETS, limiting EU airlines’ access to their airspace, and cancelling Airbus orders. Even European aviation companies have asked the EU to delay implementing the ETS. In November 2011, the global community came together in opposition to the EU’s plans when the ICAO Council approved a statement of opposition to the scheme. This allows the U.S. or another country to pursue an Article 84 action against EU member states, something I and my congressional colleagues encourage the administration to pursue.

After numerous meetings and exchanges, last year I authored legisla-tion that directs the Secretary of Trans - portation to prohibit U.S. aircraft operators from participating in the EU’s scheme. The House of Representatives passed the “European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act” in October 2011. A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate, and it should be passed without delay and sent to the president for his signature.

Despite widespread opposition, the EU is moving ahead with this financial boon to its member states—and why not? But if the EU presses ahead, there is real risk of a trade war. The Obama administration must take decisive action to show the EU that the United States means business. While protecting our environment is important, aviation is a global industry and demands global solutions, not some revenue-generating scheme disguised as a benefit to the environment.


n Airline Industry Update

FACTS, FIgURES, AND INFO

MarketWatchAirlines Parent Company Stock Symbol 3/31/2011 3/30/2012 % Chg.Spirit Spirit Airlines, Inc.1 NASDAQ: SAVE $11.80 $20.07 70.1% Bearskin, Calm Air Exchange Income Corporation TSX: EIF $21.45 $24.59 14.6% Alaska Alaska Holdings, Inc.2 NSYE: ALK $63.42 $35.82 13.0% AirTran Southwest Airlines3 NSYE: LUV $7.45 $8.24 10.6% Comair, Delta Delta Air Lines NYSE: DAL $9.80 $9.92 1.2% FedEx Express FedEx Corporation NYSE: FDX $93.55 $91.96 -1.7% Continental, United United Continental Holdings, Inc. NSYE: UAL $22.99 $21.50 -6.5% Piedmont, PSA US Airways Group, Inc. NYSE: LCC $8.71 $7.59 -12.9% Hawaiian Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. NASDAQ: HA $6.01 $5.23 -13.0% Air Transport Int’l, Capital Cargo Int’l Air Transport Services Group, Inc. NASDAQ: ATSG $8.45 $5.79 -31.5% Atlantic Southeast, ExpressJet SkyWest, Inc.4 NASDAQ: SKYW $16.92 $11.05 -34.7% Jazz Air Chorus Aviation TSX: CHR.B $5.38 $3.49 -35.1% Air Transat Transat A.T. Inc. TSX: TRZ.B $12.38 $6.28 -49.3% Colgan, Mesaba, Pinnacle Pinnacle Airlines Corp.5 NASDAQ: PNCL $5.75 $1.35 -76.5% American Eagle AMR Corp.6 OTC: AAMRQ.PK $6.46 $0.49 -92.4% 1 Spirit Airlines, Inc., began trading on the NASDAQ on 5/26/2011. The percentage change shown is from 5/31/2011 to 3/30/2012.2 Alaska Air Group had a 2:1 stock split on 3/19/2012. The stock price appreciation is correctly shown as if the stock split had not occurred.3 AirTran Holdings, Inc., agreed to be acquired by Southwest Airlines on 9/27/2010. The acquisition closed 5/2/2011. The price shown for 3/31/2011 is for AirTran Holdings. The price shown for 3/30/2012 is for Southwest stock. Southwest stock closed at $12.63 on 3/31/2011.4 ExpressJet was acquired by Atlantic Southeast, a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc., on 8/4/2010. On 11/18/2011, ExpressJet and Atlantic Southeast received a single operating certificate from the FAA. The merged airline will be known as ExpressJet.5 Pinnacle Holdings filed for bankruptcy on 4/1/2012. 6 AMR filed for bankruptcy on 11/29/2011. The price shown for 3/30/2012 is the over-the-counter pink sheet traded value of AMR stock. n Prepared by ALPA’s Economic & Financial Analysis Department

Aviation Week reported that the FAA has changed its break-even point for NextGen from 2018 to 2020. However, the FAA said that NextGen remains a priority. “Recognizing that NextGen provides improvements is not enough.... We must also understand that without NextGen we will not be able to sustain the performance of the U.S. airspace system and the economy will suffer,” the FAA announced. Per Air Transport World, the FAA estimates that the u.S. airline aircraft fleet shrank to 7,185 by the end of 2011. “The decrease [in 2011] was driven by a 61-unit decrease by the remaining network carriers as they continued

to prune their fleets in the face of uncertain economic growth and rising fuel prices,” reported the FAA. “With the decline of the fleet in 2011, the mainline carrier fleet now stands at 16.7 percent below the level it was in 2000.” Disruptive travelers at the three New York area airports may have to pay fines if their behavior results in a flight delay, according to MSNBC. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is examining ways to take civil actions against unruly travelers. “On a regular basis, we’re having issues where planes have to come back to the gate because of disrup-tive passengers,” noted Steve Coleman, spokesman for

the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the three airports. “We’re looking to cut down on the number of incidents that require police response and reduce the amount of time and money airlines lose because of these incidents.” Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Air Force has given jet fuel made from sugar extracted from pine tree wood chips a pass-ing grade in recent tests. “This fuel passed the most stringent specification tests we could throw at it [such as thermal stability] under some conditions where con-ventional jet fuels would fail,” said Tim Edwards of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.

“This fuel is definitely worth further evaluation.” Bloomberg reported that uS Airways is said to be briefing creditors of AMr Corp. on plans for a pos-sible merger with American Airlines. US Airways would seek to create a merger plan before American’s parent company exits bankruptcy protection. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court has approved AMR’s request to extend the period for filing its reorganization plan from March to September 28. According to Flight Safety Information, boeing has un-veiled several design choices for its upcoming b-737 MAX that lower the airliner’s weight and drag. “Based on


n Frontlines

design work and preliminary testing results, we have even more confidence in our ability to give our customers the fuel savings they need while mini-mizing the development risk on this program,” said Michael Teal, chief project engineer and deputy program manager

n Airline Industry Updateof the B-737 MAX program. Per the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, kiosks at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport are renting and selling mov-ies on computer flash drives. The service, from a company called Digiboo,

lets passengers watch the movies on any Windows PC. “A customer doesn’t have to plan ahead or to have ever downloaded one of our movies before,” said Digiboo’s chief marketing officer Blake Thomas. “He or she can make the decision at

the airport, just like buying M&Ms or magazines.” l

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n Pilots Tell Senate to Protect Their Jobs in ex–Im bank reauthorizationAirline pilots from across the nation representing ALPA and the Allied Pilots Association took to Capitol Hill on April 17 to attend a U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. The pilots delivered letters to members of the Committee, highlight-ing airline industry workers’ concerns about the subsidies the Ex–Im Bank provides to foreign airlines that put U.S. airlines at a disadvantage in the global marketplace and threaten thousands of U.S. airline employees’ jobs.

“Airline pilots and thou-sands of airline industry employees across the country need the U.S. Congress to seize the opportunity pre-sented by the Ex–Im Bank reauthorization to protect U.S. workers and their jobs,” said Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA’s president.

Over the past five years, the Bank has provided financ-ing for dozens of widebody aircraft to foreign airlines, with aircraft financing repre-senting more than 40 percent of all Bank financing. This financing is provided at rates

that are not available to U.S. airlines, and many of these Bank-subsidized aircraft are being used on routes that are, have been, or could be served by U.S. airlines. U.S. airlines have found that they have needed to withdraw from or not enter routes that might otherwise be economically viable, costing airline workers’ jobs.

When determining whether to provide assistance to foreign purchasers of U.S. exports, the Bank is required to consider any serious adverse effect the possible financing could have on the competitive position of U.S. industry and employment. In spite of this clear statu-tory command, the Bank has decided that it does not need to undertake an economic-harm assessment in connec-tion with providing financing for aircraft purchases, even though aircraft financing rep-resents more than 40 percent of all Bank financing. Further, there is every indication that Bank financing of widebody aircraft is likely to grow and to increasingly threaten the abil-ity of U.S. airlines to compete on international routes.

The pilots asked senators to direct the administration to enter into negotiations with the four European

countries with export credit agencies supporting Airbus aircraft sales urging them to eliminate all export credit agency financing of widebody aircraft. The pilots also asked Congress to ensure that the Bank undertakes its congressionally mandated economic effects analysis of potential financing to ensure that, with respect to each transaction, the effect of widebody aircraft financing for foreign airlines is in fact a net positive for U.S. industry and employees.

n Moak, Industry leaders Assess Airline IndustryWhat makes the airline indus-try so fiercely competitive and different from other indus-tries? That was the question Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA’s presi-dent, explored as part of an interactive panel at the 21st Annual Phoenix International Aviation Symposium. Moak, along with Nicholas Calio, president and CEO of Airlines for America; Bradford Rich, president of SkyWest, Inc.; Will Ris, senior vice president of Government Affairs for AMR Corp. and American Airlines; and Scott McCartney, travel editor at The Wall Street Journal, discussed airline regulations, taxes and fees, and industry stakeholders.

The airline industry is one of the most heavily regulated and taxed industries. While panelists discussed the increased scrutiny on aviation safety and security, they agreed that the issue of increased taxes needed to be addressed first.

Airlines and passengers are taxed more than the tobacco and alcohol industries, where the levies are designed to deter consumption. This has affected companies’ bottom lines and slowed the industry’s recovery.

Moak noted that the old way of doing business does not work anymore. To be successful, labor and management must work together to build a healthy, viable industry where all can prosper. Symposium panelists commended Moak’s out-of-the-box thinking and his efforts to change the labor relations model.

Industry leaders from around the world convene at the Symposium each year to discuss current events and issues facing the industry. More than 120 people attended this year’s event, which was held March 21–23 at the JW Marriott in Phoenix, Ariz. Attendees included government officials, senior airline executives, industry


n FrontLines (continued)

leaders, and aviation journalists.

n AlPA urges u.S. to Take Action on eu eTSOn March 28, Capt. Sean Cassidy, ALPA’s first vice president, participated in a congressional roundtable discussion, urging the ad-ministration and Congress to block U.S. participation in the EU’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) (see “Guest Commentary,” page 7). The timing of the roundtable coincided with an opinion piece in USA Today by Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA’s president, and Nick Calio, Airlines for America’s president, opposing the EU ETS.

“Our companies are under tremendous market pressure to reduce fuel consumption and emissions so they may continue to compete in the world market,” Cassidy told roundtable attendees. “Being greener leads to a better bottom line, so they do not need any artificial incentives to urge them to make the best possible use of every gallon of jet fuel they purchase.”

ALPA opposes the EU ETS as it further taxes the airline industry, reduces the ability of U.S. airlines to invest in emission-reduction technology, and violates U.S. sovereignty. In addition to Cassidy’s roundtable participation, Moak met with White House officials, asking them to file an Article 84 complaint against the EU to challenge the legality of the scheme.

Also attending the congres -

sional roundtable were repre-sentatives from the House Aviation Subcommittee, the Department of Transpor- tation, the FAA, the Depart- ment of State, and the U.S. airline industry.

n Pinnacle Pilots respond To bankruptcyIn early April, just more than a year after Pinnacle Airlines pilots ratified an industry-leading contract designed to pave the way to integrate one of the world’s largest regional airlines, Pinnacle Airlines Corp. declared bankruptcy. This filing was not unexpected, according to Capt. Tom Wychor, the pilots’ Master Executive Council (MEC) chairman. “This MEC has been working to prepare for this eventuality since concessionary negotiations with the company ceased in mid-February.

“The bankruptcy process will present the Pinnacle pilots with many challenges, and the most important challenge we face will be to maintain the hard-fought industry standards that our pilots have helped to establish,” Wychor commented.

Since the filing, the MEC has been working closely with bankruptcy attorneys from Cohen, Weiss, and Simon to monitor and analyze all of the initial filings; working with ALPA’s Economic & Financial Analysis Department to evaluate the company’s finances to determine what changes to the pilot contract are necessary and justified; communicating with the

American Eagle pilots (who are also operating under bankruptcy) to collaboratively strategize on how to hold the line on key contract provisions; and coordinating with ALPA’s Communications Department to develop a communications strategy.

“Since the commencement of the negotiations for the joint collective bargaining agreement, we have successfully navigated our way through a series of significant challenges,” said Wychor. “We have demonstrated our ability to constructively engage to solve problems in ways that have mutually benefitted our company and our pilots. The mission and the goals in bankruptcy are the same, and our commitment to our pilot group will be unwavering.”

Recently pilot leaders had to split their focus between the Chapter 13 filing and widespread delays and unprecedented inaccuracies in pilot pay. Pilots took to the pavement to express their outrage over being shortchanged in their paychecks for overtime and premium pay, and other compensation associated with their flying during an informational picketing event April 11 outside of Pinnacle Airlines Corp.’s headquarters in downtown Memphis, Tenn.

“Since Feb.24, 2012, we have received roughly 450 unique payroll discrepancy reports,” Wychor said. “In some cases, thousands of dollars are owed, and pilots go weeks without receiving the correct pay—or even any

response from the company whatsoever.”

The event brought public pressure and scrutiny to bear on Pinnacle management’s failure to accurately and promptly pay its employees.

n Progress Needed to Move to risk-based Air Transportation SecurityALPA “recognizes the Transportation Security Administration’s [TSA] com-mitment to shift away from a one-size-fits-all approach to air transportation security and embrace a more intelligence-driven, risk-based philosophy,” said Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA’s president, applauding the March 21 “Balancing Prosperity and Security: Challenges for U.S. Air Travel in a 21st Century Global Economy” hearing of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security.

“The TSA has taken important action toward instituting risk-based security by advancing many initiatives that ALPA has advocated, including launching the Known Crewmember program, which provides enhanced security screening for professional flight crews.

“While important progress, these efforts must mark the first actions in a determined drive toward a completely risk-based approach that will help enhance aviation security, make air transportation more


custo mer friendly for airline passengers and air cargo shippers, and ensure that the U.S. airline industry continues to fuel the nation’s economy and provide jobs,” Moak added. To read more, scan the QR code on page 10.

n eagle Pilots Comment on Management’s restructuring Proposal“Today, in a meeting with the various American Eagle labor group leaders, American Eagle management presented their view of what it will take to restructure our airline,” com-mented Capt. Tony Gutierrez, the pilots’ Master Executive Council (MEC) chairman, on March 21.

“Individual meetings with each labor group followed this larger gathering where management delivered their terms sheet proposal. This proposal represents what Eagle management claims is necessary from the pilot group to reach its goals and exit bankruptcy as a successful, competitive, and thriving company.

“During the next few weeks, ALPA’s economic and financial experts, bankruptcy counsel, and negotiators will analyze the proposal, management’s overall restructuring objectives, and its financial justifications. This analysis will consist of cost comparisons and validation, as well as alternative cost savings,” Gutierrez noted.

“Following this analysis, ALPA will begin negotiations with the intent to negotiate a consensual deal with management that is workable

from both sides of the table and provides management with justifiable cost savings while protecting the quality of life for all Eagle pilots and its ability to recruit new pilots.”

The pilots’ MEC and Strategic Planning Committee held a family awareness rally and picnic at Six Flags Over Texas on April 14 so that Dallas-area American Eagle families could network, ask questions, and get information from their pilot leaders about the AMR bankruptcy.

“Bankruptcy affects the entire family, not just the employee,” said Gutierrez. “ALPA strongly believes that large family decisions are made collectively at the dinner table. With that in mind, ALPA sponsored this event to help educate the pilots and their families on what lies ahead.”

n Moak urges Congressional Support for HIMSALPA’s president, Capt. Lee Moak, recently wrote to Senate and House appropria-tors urging them to support the Human Intervention Motivation Study (HIMS), a federally funded prototype alcohol and drug assistance program that coordinates identifying, assessing, medi-cally recertifying, and return-ing to the cockpit flightcrew members with substance-abuse problems. HIMS, an industrywide effort in which companies, pilot unions, and the FAA work together to further aviation safety and preserve careers, has a long-

term success rate of 85 to 90 percent. To learn more about the HIMS program, go to www.himsprogram.com.

n AlPA Pushes for Swift Confirmation of Huerta as FAA AdministratorIn a letter sent to U.S. sena-tors, Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA’s president, urged the lawmak-ers to swiftly confirm Michael Huerta as FAA administrator. “With the recent passage by Congress of the FAA reautho-rization bill, it is a time for critical decisions to be made,” said Moak. “Steady, long-term leadership, not transitional leadership, is what is needed at the helm of the FAA.”

Moak underscored Huerta’s professionalism, leadership, and expertise. Pointing to Huerta’s proficiency with all areas of aviation, Moak highlighted that his expertise will be needed at the FAA “to provide stability and direction as we undertake a massive upgrade to our nation’s air traffic control system.

“As we work together to improve our nation’s already stellar aviation safety record, Michael Huerta has already shown that he can lead the FAA in the right direction,” Moak said. “His nomination by the president to serve as administrator is welcomed by ALPA. I urge the Senate to confirm Michael Huerta as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration as soon as the Senate returns from its April district work period.”

n rep. Poe Meets with Continental PilotsIn early April, the Continen tal pilots hosted Rep. Ted Poe (R-Tex.), helping to arrange a visit to Continental’s Training Center in Houston and to its B-787 simulator. Capt. Mike Coffield, the pilot group’s Master Executive Council (MEC) Legislative Affairs

Committee chairman, also presented Poe a plaque on behalf of ALPA, in

recognition of his efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Poe has supported ALPA’s efforts by opposing changes to foreign ownership and control rules and by supporting other pro-pilot issues, particularly those related to outsourcing jobs. The congressman has also recently become involved with a developing issue involving Houston-area airports that is important to the Continental pilots.

“Efforts like this are important to helping ensure that the pilot agenda is advanced in Congress,” said Coffield. “It’s just one of many ways that the Continental MEC Legislative Affairs Committee and ALPA are working together for Continental pilots and for all ALPA pilots.”

n FAA Medical Certification Form Goes PaperlessOn March 8, the FAA an-nounced that as of Oct. 1, 2012, it would discontinue

rep. Poe

Nagel elected eVP

Effective March 28, Capt. Mark Nagel (Pinnacle) became the ALPA executive vice president for Subgroup B4. His term of office continues until Dec. 31, 2012. He is also chairman of ALPA’s Membership Committee and previously served as chairman of the Mesaba Master Executive Council.

Nagel fills the vacancy left by Capt. Mark Segaloff, who resigned on March 10 when he left Pinnacle Airlines.

www.himsprogram.com


Canada

using the paper version of Form 8500-8, the application for FAA medical certification of airmen. In 2007, the FAA launched an online Form 8500-8, known as “FAA MedXpress.” Since then it has evolved, streamlining FAA medical certification into a

more efficient and seamless process and making the paper form obsolete.

Before undergoing a medical examination for a flight physical, an applicant will fill out Form 8500-8 online. The aviation medical examiner (AME) will access

the completed and securely stored form to complete the medical examination and record the results.

Using digitized data reduces the risk of errors made by applicants, AME staff, and AMEs in processing the examination.

To access the FAA MedXpress form, go to https://medxpress.faa.gov/. If you have questions regarding the FAA MedXpress form, contact ALPA’s Aero-med ical Office at (303) 341-4435 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Mountain Time. l

n FrontLines (continued)

n Canadian Pilot reps Hone Their Communications SkillsPilot representatives from ALPA’s Canada Board and six Canadian master executive councils gathered at ALPA’s Herndon offices in early April to work with ALPA’s communica-tions team to enhance their skills for communicating with the news media.

“It’s imperative that the Air Line Pilots Association maintains a strong presence in the Canadian news media,” said Capt. Georges Dawood (Jazz), secretary-treasurer of ALPA’s Canada Board. “Whether it’s pursuing a safety regulation, calling to enforce an existing labor law, or advancing our pilots’ interests in contract negotiations, our union is dedicated to serving as the voice of airline pilots as part of an overall strategy to achieve our safety, security, and labor relations goals.”

The attendees, representing pilots at Air Transat, Bearskin, Canadian North, First Air, Jazz, and Kelowna Flightcraft, took part in an intensive workshop designed to help them successfully interact with leading journalists who cover aviation news across Canada. The pilots agreed that news media outreach is an essential element in a comprehensive strategy to help communicate ALPA’s stance on issues such

as Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker program and flight- and duty-time regulations and minimum rest requirements for airline pilots.

n AlPA Attends CArAC, other MeetingsA follow-up meeting of the Canadian Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (CARAC) Modernization Project Advisory Committee (AC) was held on March 29. Réal Levasseur, an ALPA senior staff engineer, attended the meeting, which gave the group’s consultants an opportunity to present their views of a high-level process to renew the CARAC consulting model and assess the consulta-tion mechanisms of other civil aviation authorities. The criteria for a modernized approach to enacting new regulations were presented, among them the need for a higher degree of collabora-tion between the regulator and its industry partners, sharing information early in the process, tracking performance, and ensuring that participants are accountable.

The AC agreed that a timely, efficient, and relevant process was needed and that this could be achieved by streamlining the administrative process, using less-rigid and prescribed time lines, and selecting small, inter-ested groups to ensure regular dialogue. Proposed improve-

ments included involving stakeholders at the very begin-ning on key policy decisions; transparent consulting that supports the Transport Canada prioritization process, and prioritizing stakeholders’ goals. The AC studied the processes in place at the FAA, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and the European Aviation Safety Agency to help guide its decision-making.

Levasseur is also working with Canadian master executive council (MEC) air safety chairs to address their concerns with NAV CANADA. At Bearskin, Wi-Flight was recently installed on a few

airliners in a trial program. Wi-Flight, a subscription-based service made possible through the Wi-Flight GTA02 flight data recorder, features Internet-based flight playback and automated flight analysis. The audio playback feature is effectively a CVR that manage-ment can download at any time and play back. This would contravene regulations per-taining to downloading voice recordings for other than safety investigation purposes. After meeting with the pilots’ MEC and ALPA, management agreed to disable the voice recording capability. l

CommuniquéALPA’s Canada Board has launched a new publication, Communiqué, which is designed to keep ALPA’s Canadian mem-bers informed about the pertinent issues facing airline pilots in Canada. Communiqué highlights the activities and strategic initia-tives ALPA representatives in Canada are undertaking to promote pilots’ collective interests on Parliament Hill, to other Canadian institutions, and internationally, to the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA). To view Communiqué, scan the QR code. l

https://medxpress.faa.gov/


n AlPANegotiationsupdateThe following is a summary of the status of ALPA con-tract negotiations by airline as of March 30, 2012:

Air Wisconsin—A Section 6 notice was filed on Oct. 1, 2010. Negotiations continue May 15–18, June 10–13, and August 28–31. Atlantic Southeast—A Section 6 notice was filed on May 20, 2010. A joint Section 6 notice was filed on March 28, 2011. Atlantic Southeast/ExpressJet joint negotiations continue May 1–3, 8–10, 15–17, and 22–24. bearskin—A notice to bargain was sent on Sept. 1, 2011. Negotiations continue. CanJet—A notice to bargain was filed on Dec. 1, 2011. Negotiations continue May 21–25.Comair—A Section 6 notice

was filed on Sept. 27, 2010. Negotiations continue.Continental—Negotiations are under way on the Continental/United joint col-lective bargaining agreement (JCBA). The parties requested assistance from the National Mediation Board (NMB) on Dec. 17, 2010. Mediation continues. Delta—A Section 6 notice was filed on March 13, 2012. Negotiations are under way.evergreen—Negotiations began in December 2004. ALPA became the pilots’ bar-gaining agent in November 2007. A tentative agreement was reached on April 16, 2010. The pilots voted against ratification on Aug. 16, 2010. expressJet—A Section 6 no-tice was received on May 28, 2010. A joint Section 6 notice was filed on March 28, 2011. Negotiations are under way

for the Atlantic Southeast/ExpressJet JCBA.*First Air—A notice to bar-gain was filed on Oct. 1, 2010. Negotiations are under way. Mesa—A Section 6 notice was filed on Sept. 10, 2010. Negotiations continue May 8–9 and June 12–14.Piedmont—A Section 6 notice was sent on March 13, 2009. An application for mediation was filed with the NMB on April 21, 2010. Negotiations continue.PSA—A Section 6 notice was sent on Jan. 19, 2009. A joint application for mediation was filed on July 12, 2011. Negotia -tions continue May 8–10.ryan—A Section 6 notice was sent on Sept. 2, 2011. Negotiations continue April 30–May 2, May 29–June 1, and June 18–22.Sun Country—A Section 6 notice was sent on Feb. 23,

2010. Negotiations are under way. united—Negotiations are under way on the United/Continental joint collective bargaining agreement (JCBA). The parties re-quested assistance from the National Mediation Board (NMB) on Dec. 17, 2010. Mediation continues. l

*Editor’s note: ALPA negotia-tors at this Canadian airline have experienced many de-lays in bargaining because of management shakeups and the loss of Flight 6560. Since bargaining opened in 2010, the pilot group has had two CEOs, three vice presidents of flight operations, and four company lead negotiators. However, the team members remain confident they will make progress in the coming sessions.

education Committee updateACe Club Takes Flight at uNDCapt. Dave Ryter (American Eagle), ALPA’s Education Committee chairman, and Capt. George Burnette (Delta),

a Committee member, attended the first meeting of the University of North Dakota’s (UND) ALPA ACE Club in April, along with the Club’s student president, Kou Omori, and other officers and members.

The ALPA ACE Club is

a student-led organization whose purpose is to promote professionalism and safety among future airline pilots. ALPA’s Education Committee strives to bring the industry to the students through monthly presentations on various student-selected aviation topics. The first meeting included an overview of the ACE Club’s organization, followed by questions and answers on a variety of industry-related subjects.

The Association started its first ACE Club at Embry-Riddle University in Daytona Beach, Fla., two years ago.

SAFeCoNKansas State University is hosting the annual NIFA Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) May 14–19. SAFECON brings together more than 300 stu-dents from 30 colleges and universities from across the

country to vie for the title of national champion for both team and indi-vidual pilot honors. This competition develops and advances aviation education by emphasiz-ing aviation safety. The Conference provides a foundation to promote and foster communica-tion and cooperation among aviation students, educators, and the avia-tion industry.

If you’d like to volunteer at this or other Education Committee events, scan the QR code. l

Volunteer!


n Engineering & Air Safety Update

n Correlation Between Airline Revenues and Pilot CostsALPA’s Economic & Financial Analysis Department analysts review many metrics in the course of monitoring the airline industry. Recently, they analyzed the correlation between airline revenues and pilot costs. The recent increase in revenues, despite reductions in capacity, shows that airlines have been able to leverage passenger demand as well as generate new revenue streams from unbundled services, such as baggage fees and advance seat purchases. When airlines cut capacity yet retain higher load factors, they know demand is strong.

Total pilot costs, which include salaries, personnel expens-es, benefits costs, and payroll taxes, as a percent of revenue have historically been in the 9–12 percent range.

Beginning in 2005, after many airlines went through bankruptcy and restructuring, total pilot costs began slipping as a percentage of revenue. As airlines began unbundling services and charging fees for baggage and other services, which created new and additional revenue streams, the trend continued. When airlines began to increase fares to combat increasing fuel expenses, the percentage of pilot costs compared to revenue slipped again.

However, if fuel is used as an indicator of additional rev-enues, pilot costs as a percentage of revenue are still in the historical range and have rebounded slightly in the last year. The chart below shows the dramatic swings fuel costs have had as a percentage of revenue. l

Industry operating revenues dropped

16% in 2009 push-ing the percent of pilot costs

up.

n AlPA Attends AleAN ConferenceALPA security representatives attended the Airport Law Enforcement Agencies Network (ALEAN) spring conference in New Orleans, La., March 13–14. During his remarks, keynote speaker John Pistole, administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), addressed the need for a “risk based” approach to aviation security and praised the partnership among the TSA, labor, industry, and state and local airport law enforcement agencies. The administrator specifically cited the ALPA- and Airlines for America-sponsored Known Crewmember program as a

successful example of risk-based screening and discussed the possibility of expanding similar programs in the future, such as Precheck.

An FBI speaker offered an overview of the agency’s Civil Aviation Security Program and discussed counterterrorism efforts conducted by 42 different agencies within the National Joint Terrorism Task Force.

In addition to panel discussions on current airport law enforcement resources and training issues, the agenda included a presentation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. l


Send Your Teen Abroad This SummerThe International Youth Exchange Program (IYE) for airline families is accepting applica-tions for 2012. Teens, ages 14–19 years, are matched with youth their own age. Both teens host in their homes for two weeks and are together at both homes. Exchanges are available to France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

For more information, contact Camille Wheeler, IYE program coordinator, at [email protected] or go to www.intlyouth.org. l

Capt. Gary B. Newman Delta FebruaryCapt. Michael E. Schnaitter Comair FebruaryCapt. Peter J. Harvey United MarchCapt. John Hess Flying Tigers MarchCapt. Norm L. Heuvel Delta MarchCapt. C.B. Howard Eastern MarchCapt. Stuart A. O’Brien Delta MarchCapt. James B. Rowan Presidential MarchCapt. D.S. Sharp Eastern MarchCapt. Parker F. Schofield Delta MarchCapt. Edward J. Wilson Alaska March

n Compiled from information provided by ALPA’s Membership and Council Services Department

n In Memoriam“To fly west, my friend, is a flight we all must take for a final check.”—Author unknown

2010F/O Harvey S. Stevens US Airways JanuaryCapt. Richard D. Odabashian United May

2011F/O Robert W. Methven Frontier JuneCapt. R.D. Harris Pan American SeptemberCapt. Aubrey J. “Bud” Battley Continental DecemberCapt. H.C. Lilley United December

2012S/O M.J. Binion Pan American JanuaryCapt. Arthur F. Briner US Airways FebruaryCapt. Raymond J. Gilboyne, Jr. United February

Wally Anderson, Assistant to First Four ALPA Presidents, Dies at 95

Wallace “Wally” Anderson, who retired in 1981 after serving as executive assistant to the president of ALPA for 40 years, passed away on April 9 in Lady Lake, Fla., at the age of 95.

ALPA’s founder and first president, Capt. David Behncke, hired Anderson in October 1941. Except for service with the U.S. Army First Air Commandos in India and Burma during World War II,

Anderson spent four decades working for ALPA’s first four presidents.Anderson is survived by two sons, a daughter, four grandchildren, and three

great-grandchildren. l


www.intlyouth.org



Over the past several months, a significant amount of work has

been done behind the scenes to ready the Known Crew-member (KCM) program for nationwide expansion. Due to the success of the program, pilots should begin seeing the results of this work by early summer 2012 with the ad-dition of new airports to the system and new equipment at KCM access points that will include bar code readers.

Site surveys of eight additional KCM locations—Denver, John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, Las Vegas, Newark, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and Washington National—were slated to begin in April with the airports expected to begin coming online this summer. With Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approval, the test will become a standing program and include many more airports across the United States.

At press time, Airlines for America (A4A) was preparing to send information to the senior management of U.S. airlines, providing particulars on what is needed to join KCM. It is important to note that all U.S. airlines with ALPA-represented pilots are connected to ARINC, the contractor for this program,

and will be able to participate. Once an airline subscribes

to KCM, each pilot will receive a bar code tag that TSA screeners can use to rapidly query the company database and approve the pilot. Along with this bar code tag will be instructions for pilots on how to register the bar code online and match it to their company ID.

Before new KCM locations are brought online, the existing CrewPASS airports (Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Columbia, S.C.) plus the current KCM locations (Boston Logan, Chicago O’Hare, Miami, Minneapolis–St. Paul, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Seattle–Tacoma, and Washington Dulles) will all receive new access point equipment, which will include bar code readers. Using unique, individualized bar codes is expected to significantly expedite processing of pilots at KCM access points.

The A4A and ALPA have worked closely with the TSA over a period of months to determine a deployment schedule at specific airports,

which includes performing site surveys; coordinating with local TSA, airline, and airport officials at each location; supplying equipment; providing training for TSA screeners; and completing numerous other tasks that are necessary to make the system operational. As many as 83 airports may be included in the KCM program during three phases of implementation.

ALPA is pleased to partner with the A4A, the TSA, and individual airlines on the broad implementation of KCM at airports around the United States. KCM will ensure a safe and secure work environment for all airline pilots, recognizing their backgrounds and qualifications, and will also provide a more efficient security screening environment for passengers.

ALPA and the A4A launched the KCM test program in April 2011 with the support of the TSA. KCM enables TSA security officers to verify the identity and employment status of airline pilots. Because they have undergone thorough criminal background and employment checks as a condition of their employment, pilots can now use a more effective and efficient security screening process by leveraging information that is known about them and stored in airline employee databases. During the test phase, which recently concluded, KCM garnered the strong support of numerous airline

executives and the TSA, in addition to the support of thousands of airline pilots.

From August to October 2011, KCM was

Known Crewmember Set to

ExpandEight additional cities added to the list for potential sites

by Jerry Wright, Manager, Aviation Safety & Security, ALPA Engineering & Air Safety Department, and Craig lowe, Director, Security Operations, Airlines for America

The ALPA app can be accessed by scanning the QR code above. More information and ongoing KCM updates are available at www.knowncrewmember.org.



introduced at seven airports: Boston Logan, Chicago O’Hare, Miami, Minneapolis–St. Paul, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Seattle–Tacoma, and Wash ington Dulles. Each site participated in a minimum 90-day trial period, and the TSA and participating airlines evalu-ated the results of the tests.

More than 500,000 pilot entries into secure areas have occurred at KCM access points at these seven airports since the tests began. Along with ALPA and the A4A, the Regional Airline Association and many of its members have participated and supported the testing of the system.

For smartphone users, KCM information is available on the ALPA app for iPhones/iPads and Droid phones, which can be downloaded from the iTunes store or Droid marketplace. The ALPA app can also be accessed by scanning the QR code.

www.knowncrewmember.org


A career U.S. congress-man famously said, “All politics is local.” But this outspoken lifelong poli-tician also knew that

much in politics is global. That has become ever more true as our world continues to shrink. It is acutely true in the airline industry.

At the annual conference of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) that will be held May 3–7 this year in Paris, France, we will grapple with a number of global issues that affect airline pilots everywhere, whether we fly internationally or not. While IFALPA itself is not political, we must deal with highly charged political issues that set our national governments at odds and that also threaten our careers.

On the next few pages we offer a quick look at some of the top international issues that U.S. and Canadian pilots face. Some of them

threaten our fellow pilots on other continents as well.

ALPA’s plan: constructive engagementWhat can we—all of us—do to neutralize these threats?

ALPA’s Government Affairs Depart ment is pursuing several initiatives, congruent with the union’s strategic plan, in a multi-pronged approach that depends heavily on staying involved in the regulatory process on many levels—on Capitol Hill and Parliament Hill and in several international bodies. ALPA is committed to a coordinated, strategic approach to constructive engagement with all parties.

We are particularly determined to continue to engage with the rest of the international pilot community—with our partners in international alliances and code-sharing agreements, and with our competitors as well. After all, what

All Politics Is Globalby Capt. Don Wykoff (Delta), President, IFALPA, and F/o ron Abel (united), Chairman, ALPA International Affairs Committee

affects our partners and competitors will also affect us.

For example, rapidly rising taxes and fuel costs are putting increased pressure on other costs that managers see as controllable—labor costs. Thus we may be at a turning point, or entering an increasingly combative battleground, as airline managements’ readiness to use collaborative problem-solving evaporates.

Significant legal and cultural barriers to transborder cooperation stand in the way of maximizing our partnerships within the international pilot community. However, we must overcome them. We must foster a willingness and ability to work together when our interests coincide; a cooperative relationship does not just happen. The importance of our being engaged, domestically and globally, so that we can have a voice in our future cannot be overstated.

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Would you pay a group of complete strangers in a monarchy halfway around the world to eat your lunch?

No?If you’re a U.S. ALPA member, you’re

already doing so: Your taxes are being used, in part, to subsidize below-market financing so that foreign airlines—including several government-supported

flag carriers—can buy Boeings. Big Boeings, and lots of them.

A U.S. airline industry group has estimated that the current policies of the U.S. Export-Import (Ex-

Im) Bank permit these foreign airlines to save $5 million per year per B-777. Buy a bunch, and you’re starting to look at some serious coin. These discounted financing rates are not available to U.S. airlines.

Whether you fly for a U.S. interna-tional airline or provide feed to one (or more), the unfair advantage provided to major foreign airlines (including Emirates, Singapore, Thai, and India’s Jet Airways) by the Ex-Im Bank has alarming implications for your pay, benefits, and working conditions.

During the past five years, the Ex-Im Bank has provided financing for dozens of widebody aircraft, and many of these Bank-subsidized aircraft are being used to fly routes that are, have been, and could be served by U.S. airlines. But these U.S. airlines have found it necessary to withdraw from or not begin flying routes that might otherwise have been economically viable. Moreover, ALPA has seen signs that Ex-Im Bank financing of widebodies is likely to grow rapidly and increasingly threaten U.S. airlines’ ability to compete on international routes, costing ALPA members and other airline industry employees their jobs.

In a letter sent to U.S. senators on March 12, ALPA’s president, Capt. Lee Moak, noted, “Aircraft financing already represents more than 40 percent of all financing” granted by Ex-Im Bank. “Ex-Im Bank financing for widebody aircraft

Spreading far and wide from their home airports on the Persian Gulf, three Middle Eastern airlines are pursuing with relentless determination their strategic plans to become dominant players in the global airline industry. Like the simoom—the hot, dry desert wind—Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar pose a serious threat to those not prepared for their onslaught.

Consider their strategic advantages: These airlines (Etihad and Qatar are state-supported flag carriers) are based in nations where unions are outlawed and cheap labor is available. They do not shoulder the oppressive burden of taxes that stifle the growth of U.S. and Canadian airlines; in fact, they operate in a tax-free environment. They boast large, new, fuel-efficient, long-haul fleets, often subsidized by taxpayers at below-market rates (see “Ex-Im Bank: Not Pilots’ Friend,” above).

Their hub airports are not yet constrained by air traffic congestion or close enough to conflict with each other. Their national governments are pouring billions of dollars—and a lot of concrete—into expanding their airports and related infrastructure. Those airports are uniquely positioned to become the new dominant international crossroads.

Who are they? emirates is a subsidiary of the Emirates Group, which is wholly owned by the government of Dubai via the Investment

Corporation of Dubai. The airline was conceived in March

1985 after Gulf Air began to reduce service to Dubai. Emirates started flying in October 1985 and became profitable within its first nine months. By the early 1990s, it was among the world’s fastest growing airlines.

Emirates was able to grow rapidly partly because of the distinct advantages of its hub airport, Dubai International, which has no ban on night flights and little air traffic congestion. An article in the July 7, 2011 issue of The Economist noted, “Dubai is, in essence, a tax-free zone with access to cheap labor from the Indian subcontinent. Emirates reported a 52 percent rise in profits [in May 2011]; the year before they increased fivefold. Because its routes are exclusively long-haul, Emirates has planes flying 18 hours a day, making them remarkably productive.”

Emirates flies a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing widebodies and is one of only nine airlines to fly only widebodies. In 2009, Emirates became the world’s largest operator of Triple Sevens, which are the most common airplane in their fleet. In November 2011, at the Dubai

ExPlosIvE Growth of PErsIAn Gulf AIrlInEs

is expected to grow rapidly in the near future, and the threat posed to the U.S. airline industry and its workers by the Bank’s using U.S. taxpayers’ money to support our nation’s competitors is very real.”

Moak asked legislators to direct the Obama administration to negotiate with the four European countries whose export credit agencies support Airbus

aircraft sales with the goal of eliminating export credit agency financing of widebody aircraft. This would eliminate credit agency financing of both Airbus and Boeing widebodies and allow all airline purchasers to compete for financing on a level playing field.

Moak also called on Congress to ensure that the Ex-Im Bank fulfills its congressionally mandated duty to

Ex-Im BAnk: not PIlots’ frIEndAll PolItIcs Is GloBAl

All PolItIcs Is GloBAl


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Airshow, Emirates signed a record-breaking $24 billion order for 50 Boeing 777-300ERs, the biggest single order in Boeing’s history, with options for 20 more.

Emirates also is the world’s largest operator of the world’s largest airliner, the Airbus A380. The airline currently has 21 of the superjumbos, with another 69 on order, for a total of 90. Emirates

Arab Emirates, was created in July 2003 by royal decree and began operations in November 2003. Based in Abu Dhabi, the company has become, in less than a decade, the fastest-growing airline in history. Etihad now flies 66 airplanes but has another 102 on order plus 85 op-tions. With a company slogan, “From Abu

Dhabi to the World,” Etihad already oper-ates more than 1,200 flights per week to 82 destinations in more than 50 countries. Qatar, the flag carrier of Qatar, was estab-lished in November 1993 and started

flying in January 1994 with a single wet-leased B-767-200ER. Today, the airline operates a mixed fleet of Airbus narrowbody and widebody aircraft plus 30 B-777s. The current fleet of 107 airplanes will swell with the 185 new air-planes on order plus 33 options. So will the Qatar route map, which currently includes 115 international destinations. And the airline recently announced that it plans to double its service to the United States.

Airport expansionThe governments of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are investing bil-lions of dollars in airport expansion.

Abu Dhabi International is undergoing a major expansion, which

will include building a second runway 13,452 feet long.

In Qatar, Doha International has only one runway, but it’s 15,000 feet long. Moreover, Qatar is building a replacement airport, New Doha International, expected to open early next year. New Doha will have two parallel runways—one 16,100 feet long, the second, at 17,700 feet, the longest runway in western Asia.

Dubai International, which has two Category III runways, 14,580 feet and 13,124 feet long, is complemented by Al Maktoum International (also known as Dubai World Central International), a 54-square-mile airport that began cargo operations in 2010 and expects to add passenger operations in 2012. When completely built out, Al Maktoum will have five parallel runways, each 14,764 feet long. By next year, it is expected to be the largest air freight hub in the world, measured by the millions of tons of freight handled at the airport.

A glance at a world map shows that these Persian Gulf airports are uniquely situated to become first-tier international hubs connecting the Americas and Europe with Africa, the Mideast, and Asia. The EU emissions trading scheme? Fly right past it! (See “EU ETS: A Tax by Any Name,” page 20.)

Two millennia ago, all roads led to Rome—at least, from the perspective of the Romans. In the 21st century, will we soon say, “all jet routes lead to Dubai?”

ExPlosIvE Growth of PErsIAn Gulf AIrlInEs

analyze any potential financing to ensure that granting such financing would be a net positive for U.S. industry and employees.

A week later, the U.S. Senate, by procedural vote, blocked adding reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank to other legislation under consideration by the Senate.

In response, Moak pointed out, “ALPA

does not oppose the Ex-Im Bank’s reauthorization, and we hope that, with additional time before the final reauthorization is considered, all parties interested in the Bank’s reauthorization, including ALPA, can work together to amend the reauthorization to protect U.S. airline workers’ jobs without putting the Bank’s ultimate reauthorization in jeopardy.”

Moak reiterated that ALPA’s goals remain (1) to negotiate away all European and U.S. export credit agency financing of widebody aircraft, and (2) that Ex-Im Bank conduct the congressionally mandated economic effects analysis for all its potential financing; if the proposed financing would have a net negative effect on U.S. jobs, it should not be approved.

has expressed a desire to ultimately expand its A380 fleet to 120 airframes after more airport space becomes available.

Based on orders for new aircraft, by 2015, Emirates will have a larger fleet than the entire oneworld alliance. By available seat miles (ASMs), Emirates—which already has the world’s largest widebody fleet—is projected to become the third largest airline in the world just five years from now. etihad, the flag carrier of the United

Ex-Im BAnk: not PIlots’ frIEnd


EmErGInG AIrlInE BusInEss modEls

The European Union (EU) has already started trying to cap the annual carbon emissions for each airline and to allocate an emissions allowance to each. Airlines would be required to surrender one allow-ance for every ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted on a flight to or from the EU. If an airline were to exceed its allowances, the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) would impose a heavy financial penalty by forcing the airline to buy more. The ETS would apply to U.S. and Canadian airlines beginning in April 2013.

This tax masquerading as an envi-ronmental benefit would be, in ALPA’s view, illegal, ill-advised, inappropriate, counterproductive, and an onerous burden on airlines. The billions of dollars expected to flow into EU coffers would cost many thousands of North American airline jobs—while the EU refuses to even promise to use its proposed windfall to fund environmental improvements.

If European and North American air-lines are forced to pass on the EU ETS tax

to passengers and shippers via increased fares and cargo rates, the Persian Gulf airlines would gain further competitive advantage by bypassing EU airspace.

On March 28, Capt. Sean Cassidy, ALPA’s first vice president, partici-pated in a congres-sional roundtable discussion, urging the Obama adminis-

tration and Congress to block U.S. partici-pation in the EU ETS. Also attending were representatives from the House Aviation Subcommittee, the Department of Transportation, the FAA, the Department of State, and the U.S. airline industry.

“Our airlines are under tremendous market pressure to reduce fuel consump-tion and emissions so they may continue to compete in the world market,” Cassidy told the congressional roundtable. “Being greener leads to a better bottom line, so they do not need any artificial incen-tives to urge them to make the best

Eu Ets: A tAx By Any nAmEpossible use of every gallon of jet fuel.”

ALPA opposes the EU ETS as it further taxes the airline industry (which is already taxed more heavily than tobacco and alcohol), reduces the ability of U.S. airlines to invest in emission-reduction technology, and violates U.S. sovereignty. In addition to Cassidy’s roundtable participation, Moak met with White House officials, asking them to file an Article 84 complaint against the EU to challenge the legality of the scheme [see “Guest Commentary,” page 7, regarding legislation passed in the U.S. House of Representatives].

ALPA’s multi-front fight against this outrageous attempt to balance EU na-tions’ budgets by extorting money from airlines is far from over, and many other entities, including foreign governments, trade associations, Airbus, and the International Air Transport Association have warned the EU of the dire conse-quences of pursuing the planned ETS.

So far, however, the EU hasn’t blinked.

In response to market liberalization in Europe, low-cost airlines in that zone evolved primarily as transnational airlines (TNAs). Ryanair and easyJet are prime examples.

However, the TNA is no longer exclusively a European model. We are watching an accelerating trend to establish low-cost subsidiaries across national borders using a uniquely Asia-Pacific/Middle East joint-venture formula. Fourteen full-service airlines in these zones have their own low-cost subsidiary or subsidiaries of some kind.

We are also watching the rise of transnational airline holding companies (TNAHCs). Sometimes these entities are being formed to facilitate transborder acquisitions or mergers, as in the case of Air France/KLM or the Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Austrian, bmi, Brussels Airlines, and Swiss). In other cases, they are merely created to separate relevant labor groups and form a barrier to effec-tive collective bargaining representation.

airline managements. Airlines around the world are employing this tactic.

Third, the need for strong and enforce-able scope agreements that protect pilots from whipsawing is more important today than ever before. Transborder airline holding companies only multiply the potentially potent downside of globaliza-tion of the airline industry.

Competing with, or being part of, a TNA will present new and formidable challenges for airline pilots everywhere. We need to be proactive in our strategy and include the implications of this trend in our calculus.

Changes in judicial and regulatory environments that span national borders have not kept pace with the global nature of our industry. A framework for dealing with supranational labor issues still has to be constructed. Unless a workable legal framework exists, and appropriate, enforceable contract provisions are put in place, we face significant risks to our pay, benefits, and working conditions.

Even in the former case (Air France/KLM and the Lufthansa Group), strong and effective scope protections are needed to prevent whipsawing pilot groups against each other in a race to the lowest common denominator in wages, benefits, and working conditions.

Recent developments at Qantas high-light management’s effort to outsource pilot jobs by creating offshore subsidiaries in low-wage countries that are hostile to labor. These subsidiaries (Jet Star, Jet Star Asia, Jet Connect, and Q) are being used to undermine the ability of Qantas pilots to protect their own jobs.

Three things are particularly impor-tant to note concerning Qantas:

First, the outsourcing of pilot jobs is transborder. This is deeply pernicious because the national focus of most labor laws makes mounting an extraterritorial industrial response very difficult.

Second, forming subsidiaries to circumvent collective bargaining agree-ments is not unique to a few rogue




National officers, executive vice presidents, and master executive council (MEC) chairmen met April 3–4 to conduct the business of ALPA’s 110th regular Executive

Board meeting and to prepare for the Association’s Board of Di-rectors meeting this fall. Held near ALPA’s Herndon, Va., offices, the meeting began with reports from the union’s senior leaders.

“At the fall Executive Board, I spoke about [Apple co-founder] Steve Jobs,” said ALPA’s president, Capt. Lee Moak. “Jobs’s work changed how we live, what we can do, and how we relate to each other. That, of course, is also the fundamental objective of our union.”

In his address, Moak talked about the state of the union, its many strengths, and the challenges it faces. He noted that the Association is currently confronting bankruptcies, mergers, and contract negotiations at a variety of ALPA pilot group airlines, but added that, with the help of an enthusiastic and energetic staff, the Association is poised to make the most of these situations.

Capt. Sean Cassidy, ALPA’s first vice president, provided an extensive report on the Association’s reorganized Air Safety Organization and how it better functions and shares information. He discussed plans for the ALPA Air Safety Forum, scheduled for August, and the “Air Cargo Safety and Security Conference,” which the Association conducted in April.

Capt. Bill Couette, ALPA’s vice president–administration/secretary, reviewed plans for the upcoming Board of Directors meeting, the work of ALPA’s Education and Information Technology Advisory Committees, and the Association’s recent

Leadership Training Conference for newly elected council officers. Capt. Randy Helling, ALPA’s vice president–finance/treasurer, assessed the Association’s financial accounts and talked about the union’s projected performance (see “Weighing In,” page 6).

Spring Board of activityDuring the first day of the meeting, Executive Board members visited the NTSB’s nearby Training Academy. They also heard a lunchtime presentation from two veteran Capitol Hill lob-byists, Jim Dyer (a Republican) and Jaime Harrison (a Democrat), who talked about the current U.S. political environment, the need for both parties to work together, and why building relation-ships with lawmakers is so important.

Active engagement in legislative and regulatory affairs continues to be a top priority for the Association, and ALPA’s Government Affairs Department staff spoke to the Executive Board about current legislative activities. Michael Robbins, director of the Department, talked about the tremendous influence ALPA members in uniform have when meeting face-to-face with legislators and the power of grassroots efforts like the Association’s Call to Action campaigns. He stressed that

lawmakers take note when they receive messages from 50 pilots advocating a single position on an aviation-related matter.

Zack Mooneyham, the Association’s Political Action Committee (PAC) coordinator, explained the necessity of having a well-funded, bipartisan PAC. He talked about the growing influence of foreign airlines and other entities on U.S. and Canadian government decision-making and the need for all ALPA members to get involved politically to safeguard the future of the airline piloting profession in North America.

During the plenary sessions, Executive Board members discussed strategic planning and acted on a variety of resolutions, including voting to receive a

ALPA’s 110th ExEcutivE BoArd MEEtiNg

revisiting structures and Practices to confront

New challengesby John Perkinson, Staff Writer

“What our government does counts, and we must work for government policies that provide our airlines with a fair chance to prosper in a competitive world. We must establish a level playing field for our airlines and our profession.”

“Our strength lies in having a unified, international union with 80 years of history and experience. Our strength lies in a strong, well-educated, experienced, and—I’m here to tell you—very, very determined staff…. Our strength lies in having 37 master executive councils bound together to further the aviation labor movement. Our strength lies in the relationships that we’ve established in Washington, in Parliament, on Wall Street, with manufacturing, industry, and globally. And our strength lies in our organization and its strategic plan to move forward.”

Capt. Lee Moak, president

To view national officer presenta-tions, go to the members-only site of www.alpa.org and click on the ALPA Channel or scan the QR code.

http://alpatv.alpa.org/ALPAChannelPlayer/tabid/404/VideoId/543/Default.aspx

http://alpatv.alpa.org/ALPAChannelPlayer/tabid/404/VideoId/543/Default.aspx


“Our leadership structure has allowed us to break down the silos of the separate commit-tees and focus on strategic planning for the overall Air Safety Organization, addressing the needs of the membership and minimizing overlap and duplication by improving both our internal and external communications.”

“ALPA has been extremely vocal about the fact that we will not truly have One Level of Safety in the airline [industry] unless everybody, re-gardless of what sits behind the flight-deck door, is treated equally. Whether it’s carrying lithium batteries or the inequities of the flight-time/duty-time rules or gaps in the security rules, we want to make sure that those issues stay in the…spotlight, and this is the way we do it.”

“Although the income surpluses we experienced early in the last decade were followed by a massive deficit in 2008, we have continued to see improvement in each subsequent year since 2008.”

“The 2012 budget reflects initiatives that are tied to our strategic plan, including expanded Government Affairs activities and the Associa-tion’s presence in Washington, creation of the International Task Force to coordinate our activities in the international arena, and the consolidation of all of our activities at IFALPA.”

The New Networking MatrixIn what has become a regular segment of Executive Board meetings during the last year, Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA’s president, called on all master executive council (MEC) chairmen to brief meeting attendees on what’s happening with their pilot groups. Moak introduced this feature to enhance awareness and encourage MEC chairs to share their own experiences and possible resources. This activity supplements the Association’s national committee struc-ture, which provides templates and other resources and offers best practices for pilot groups in need.

Seen at this Meeting

“On March 15, we introduced the Known Crewmember feature to the ALPA mobile app. Known Crewmember has been a great success for the Association, and this portion of the app offers details about the airports involved, screening locations, and participating airlines.”

“Spring is tornado season, and this is a good time to mention the ALPA Emergency Relief Fund. The Fund is the union’s resource for ALPA members and their dependents who need financial assistance to ease the hardships that can result from natural disasters. Last year’s Irene was one of the costliest hurricanes on re-cord to hit the northeastern United States.”

Capt. Sean Cassidy, first vice president

Capt. Bill Couette, vice president–administration/secretary

Capt. Randy Helling, vice president– finance/treasurer

ALPA’s 110th ExEcutivE BoArd MEEtiNg

report from the Special Committee for Finance, Structure, and Services regarding recommended measures to improve the operation and efficiency of the Association.

The Board also authorized an initial allocation from the Association’s Major Contingency Fund to assist Pinnacle pilots

with strategic preparedness in light of their airline’s recently announced bankruptcy; voted to modify the Association’s Administrative Manual to fine-tune ALPA risk management policy; and acted on other recommendations to address ALPA’s overall productivity.

ALPA’s president, Capt. Lee Moak, introduced an inspiring video montage, produced by ALPA’s Communications Depart-ment, of photos recently

submitted by ALPA members. Scan the QR to view the montage.


One Level of Safety: We’re Getting There

Clarification of the New Regulationsby Capt. Don Wykoff (Delta), Chairman, ALPA Flight Time/Duty Time Committee, and

Jim Johnson, Managing Attorney, ALPA Legal Department

Since the new fatigue regulations were issued in late December 2011, ALPA’s been engaged in an aggressive two-prong approach regarding FAR Part 117. The mis-sion? To notify its members about the positive changes

and to lead the effort to fix the negatives.

The fixNot ever backing down from One Level of Safety, ALPA remains unsatisfied with the cargo carveout that was attached to the new regulations. On April 16, after months of advocating the critical importance of applying the same fatigue rule to all airline pilots—regardless of what is in the back of an aircraft—the Safer Skies Act of 2012 was introduced on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.) and Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) introduced the bill that, if passed, would advance ALPA’s goal for One Level of Safety for all airline operations by directing the Department of Transportation to apply the FAA’s flight- and duty-time regulations and minimum rest requirements to all-cargo operations in the same way that the science-based regulations currently apply to passenger operations.

“The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, hails the introduction of the Safe Skies Act of 2012 as serious action to enhance the safety of air transportation by ensuring that all-cargo airlines meet the same high safety standards as the passenger airlines with which they share airports and airspace,” said Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA’s president.

Moak noted that ALPA pilots played an important role in underscoring the serious need and demonstrating strong support for the aviation safety legislation. Over the coming weeks, ALPA will work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and across Capitol Hill to urge Congress to take up and pass the Cravaack–Bishop bill as quickly as possible.

Leading the industryIn the past two months, ALPA has spear-headed a large-scale industry conference highlighting the new fatigue regulations and their implementation.

In March, the “Flight-Time/Duty-Time Conference: Moving Part 117 Forward” brought together representatives from government agencies, the airlines, and other aviation labor groups to explore how the FAA’s new pilot fatigue rule could be put into practice and how the airline industry can implement Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) and other tools to further enhance aviation safety.

“The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, seized the opportunity to bring the industry together to roll up our sleeves and explore how the new regulations will be implemented to ensure a smooth transition to the new FAR Part 117 and position pilots to deliver on their commitment to the highest standards of safety,” said Moak.

At the Conference, more than 160 participants held wide-ranging discussions on all aspects of implementing the new flight- and duty-time regulations and minimum rest requirements as well as innovative approaches to combat fatigue, including making the most of tools such as FRMS to allow flexibility while enhancing safety.

In April, ALPA’s “Closing the Gaps in Air Cargo Safety and Security Conference” brought the airline industry together to develop solutions to achieve one level of safety and security for all airline operations, regardless of whether the pilots are flying passengers or cargo.

It attracted more than 100 attendees, included speakers representing Congress, regulators, labor, airlines, and industry organizations. Look for more coverage in the June/July issue of Air Line Pilot.

Understanding the new FAR Part 117 regulationWhen the new FAR Part 117 flight time regulation is implemented, there will be both block and duty limits. For some 60 years, the guidelines for pilots have been “you can’t schedule me for more than 8 hours of flight time in a 24 consecutive-hour period.” The key word is “scheduled” and that arises in most instances well in advance of the actual flight. At the time the flight or flight segments were scheduled, it could be reasonable to

Call to ActionThe Safer Skies Act of 2012 will undo the exemption for cargo carriers and require that all airline operations abide by the same rules and safety standards. Tell your federal legislators

that as a pilot and ALPA mem-ber One Level of Safety in the skies is impor-tant to you and urge them to

cosponsor H.R. 4350 today. Visit www.alpa.org/calltoaction or scan the QR code to take action.

www.alpa.org/calltoaction

www.alpa.org/calltoaction


expect that the assignment could be completed in eight hours. However, often for a variety of reasons, the actual flight time would exceed the eight hours, but a pilot was legal to complete the flight as long as he or she had the required rest in the 24-hour period because the limit was scheduled, not actual.

FAR Part 117 makes a paradigm shift from scheduled to actual block hours and provides lower limits for early morning and late evening hours. This change will result in more realistic scheduling and addresses circadian rhythm. The only permitted extension to these limits is if at the time of takeoff a pilot calculates that he or she can complete the flight within the limits but while in the air encounters unexpected weather or ATC delays that will cause the pilot to exceed the limits. In that event, the airline must report the extension to the FAA within 10 days to explain the reasons for the extension and what actions the airline is taking to minimize the need for future extensions. FAR Part 117 will require the pilot to do a “Whitlow” calculation at each takeoff to determine whether he or she can complete the flight within limits. For example, if the aircraft pushes back from the gate with sufficient time to complete the flight within limits, but due to ramp or other ground delays by the time the pilot is cleared for takeoff he or she can no longer complete the flight within limits, the pilot cannot depart and must return to the gate. The new FAR Part 117 actual flight limits are set out below.

In addition to block limits, there is also a duty limit for any period of time that includes an FAR Part 121 flight assignment, which is called the flight duty period (FDP). This period is measured from the time the pilot

reports until the pilot is released from all duty for the airline. These limits vary depending on the time of report and number of flight segments scheduled. These limits are set forth in the table in the right column.

To complete a flight, the pilot must be within both the block and FDP limits. Unlike the block limits that are hard, the airline

Scheduled Time Maximum Flight Duty Period (hours) of Start For lineholders based on Number (Acclimated of Flight Segments Time)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7+

0000-0359 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

0400-0459 10 10 10 10 9 9 9

0500-0559 12 12 12 12 11.5 11 10.5

0600-0659 13 13 12 12 11.5 11 10.5

0700-1159 14 14 13 13 12.5 12 11.5

1200-1259 13 13 13 13 12.5 12 11.5

1300-1659 12 12 12 12 11.5 11 10.5

1700-2159 12 12 11 11 10 9 9

2200-2259 11 11 10 10 9 9 9

2300-2359 10 10 10 9 9 9 9

Part 117

Unaugmented:

0000-0459 8 hard0500-1959 9 hard2000-2359 8 hard

(An abbreviated glossary. For the full glossary please visit www.alpa.org/fightingfatigue) or scan the QR code below.

Duty: Any task that a flightcrew member performs as required by the certificate holder, including but not limited to flight duty period, flight duty, pre- and post-flight duties, administrative work, training, deadhead transportation, aircraft positioning on the ground, aircraft loading, and aircraft servicing.

Flight time: Pilot time that commences when an aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight and ends when the aircraft comes to rest after landing.

Flight duty period (FDP): A period that begins when a flightcrew member is required to report for duty with the intention of conducting a flight, a series of flights, or positioning or ferrying flights and ends when the aircraft is parked after the last flight and there is no intention for further aircraft movement by the same flightcrew member. A flight duty period includes the duties performed by the flightcrew member on behalf of the cer-tificate holder that occur before a flight segment or between flight segments without a required intervening rest period. Examples

of tasks that are part of the flight duty period include deadhead transportation, training conducted in an aircraft or flight simula-tor, and airport/standby reserve, if the above tasks occur before a flight segment or between flight segments without an intervening required rest period.

Whitlow: On Nov. 20, 2000, the FAA issued an interpretation regarding the 8-in-24-hours rest requirement. This interpretation is commonly known as the “Whitlow Letter,” and it was consistent with the agency’s long-standing interpretation of the current rules. In summary, the FAA reiterated that each flightcrew member must have a minimum of 8 hours of rest in any 24-hour period that includes flight time. The scheduled flight time must be calculated using the actual conditions on the day of departure before the take-

off to determine whether the flight can be completed to allow for the eight-hour rest. If the flight cannot be completed to allow the rest, the flightcrew cannot depart.

For more information, visit www.alpa.org/fightingfatigue.

Say What?

To view the final flight-time/duty-time rule, A Part 117 Regulator Impact Analysis, FRMS Guide for Operators, and FRMS Manual for Regulators, visit www.alpa.org/fightingfatigue and click on the icon in the upper right-hand corner.

has the flexibility to extend FDP limits, up to 30 minutes. Additionally, the airline, with the concurrence of the pilot-in-command, may—if unforeseen operational circumstances arise before takeoff—extend the FDP up to two hours. This may occur only once before receiving a 30-hour rest period. If an extension occurs, the airline must report the extension to the FAA, detailing the reason for the extension and what is being done to minimize future extensions. The airline must implement any corrective action within 30 days.

The new flight time and FDP limits address issues that ALPA has long sought: realistic scheduling, duty based on number of scheduled flight segments, and circadian rhythm. Other features of FAR Part 117 will be topics in future issues of Air Line Pilot. Stay tuned.

www.alpa.org/fightingfatigue






On Feb. 29, 2012, a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) was published regarding pilot certification and qualification requirements for air carrier operations.

How might this affect you and U.S. airline operations?If the NPRM is approved, airline pilots will need to meet

these new pilot qualification standards to fly in U.S. FAR Part 121 airline service.

The proposed rule would• mandate enhanced training requirements for any newly is-sued airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate, including 50 hours of multiengine flight experience and completion of a new FAA-approved training program.• increase the minimum flight time necessary to be hired by an FAR Part 121 airline.• establish a “restricted” ATP that recognizes that quality of training is more important than total flight hours accumulated by giving appropriate flight experience credit to military-trained pilots and graduates of aviation colleges and universities that have intense, structured professional pilot training programs. Former military pilots who have 750 hours of flight time would be able to apply for an ATP certificate with restricted privileges. Graduates of a four-year baccalaureate aviation degree program would be able to obtain a restricted ATP with 1,000 hours of flight time, but only if they also obtained an airline pilot certifi-cate and instrument rating from a pilot school affiliated with the university or college.• establish ATP training programs tailored toward FAR Part 121 airline operations.• require a pilot to have a minimum of 1,000 flight hours as a pilot in air carrier operations that require an ATP before serving as a captain for a U.S. airline. • require FAR Part 121 second-in-command (SIC) pilots to be type-rated in the aircraft they operate to ensure that they demonstrate the same knowledge and flying skills as the pilot-in-command (PIC) for that aircraft.

If you are a pilot em-ployed by an FAR Part 121 airline and do not yet have the PIC flight experience to meet the requirements of the ATP, keep in mind that under FAR Part 61.51 an SIC pilot can log time against the 250-hour PIC requirement for the ATP while operating the aircraft under the supervision of a type-rated PIC.

What’s next?The NPRM contains a 60-day comment period, with comments due to the FAA by April 30. ALPA’s

safety structure, including all master executive council safety and training committee chairs, elements of the Collective Bargaining Committee, the Fee for Departure Task Force, and the Professional Development Group have all reviewed the NPRM and draft ALPA comments.

ALPA agrees with the framework of the FAA’s proposed rule but has some concerns regarding accommodating pilots who are already employed at FAR Part 121 airlines yet do not meet the proposed requirements for an ATP or restricted ATP. ALPA supports phasing in the new rule to allow currently employed pilots to accumulate the flight experience, classroom instruc-tion, and training needed to qualify for the ATP or restricted ATP as defined in the new regulation. ALPA also believes that the FAA should establish a date in the near future after which FAR Part 121 airlines cannot hire pilots who cannot meet the qualifications contained in the proposed rule. The Association

What You Need to Know About the New Proposed Pilot Certification & Qualification Requirements

by Capt. Charles Hogeman (united), ALPA Aviation Safety Chair; F/o leja Noe (Mesa), ALPA Training Council Chair; and Keith Hagy, ALPA Engineering & Air Safety Department Director

ALPA supports phasing in the new rule to allow currently employed pilots to accumulate the flight experience, classroom instruction, and training needed to qualify for the ATP or restricted ATP as defined in the new regulation.


estimates that approximately 1,000 ALPA-represented pilots do not currently meet the requirements for the current ATP.

In the coming weeks and months, you will be hearing much more about this proposed change in regulations. If you have any questions about the proposal and how it may affect you, please call ALPA’s Engineering & Air Safety Department at 1-800-424-2470.

ALPA’s leading role ALPA has participated throughout the rulemaking process with the goal of enhancing the safety of airline operations by establishing standards that would produce the best qualified pilots and adequately prepare them for FAR Part 121 opera-tions. Whether it was congressional testimony, participating in the First Officer Qualification Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), or drafting comments to the NPRM, ALPA members and staff have been engaged to ensure that the new regulations advance the safety of airline operations.

Under current FARs, an airline can hire an individual who has less than 200 hours of flight experience into the SIC posi-tion of an FAR Part 121 operation as long as he or she holds a commercial pilot certificate with instrument and multiengine ratings and has a second-class medical certificate.

Currently, an individual can follow several paths to become an FAR Part 121 airline pilot in the United States:• The general aviation/civilian FAR Part 61 path in which an individual goes to a certified flight instructor, takes lessons, obtains ratings, and accumulates flight experience.• The FAR Part 61 path supplemented by structured training provided by flight academies.• The civilian flight training path by graduating from an FAR Part 141/142 flight school or training center, which has struc-tured professional pilot programs.• The two-year or four-year aviation college or university path that has a structured professional pilot flight training program.• The U.S. military path.

All of these paths can produce qualified pilots; however, the quality of training varies depending on the path chosen.

Beginning in 2005 through February 2009, four fatal FAR Part 121 accidents occurred in the United States. While inves-tigating these accidents, the National Transportation Safety Board reviewed the training and qualification history and flight experience of the airmen involved. As a result of the high-profile fatal accident that occurred in February 2009 near Buffalo, N.Y., the U.S. Congress began its own review of aviation safety and pilot training, qualification, and flight experience. That review culminated in Congress passing and President Obama signing into law on Aug. 1, 2010, the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Extension Act of 2010, Public Law (P.L.) 111-216. ALPA spent considerable time with congressional staff during the crafting of this bill and testified before the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

The law contains a number of safety provisions regarding the training, qualifications, and licensing of airmen. The law directed the FAA to review and modify the requirements for issuing an ATP certificate. In addition, two sections of the law significantly affect pilot hiring at FAR Part 121 airlines. Section 216 requires pre-employment screening and an assessment of the applicant’s skills, aptitude, and airmanship. By Aug. 2, 2013, all flightcrew members flying under FAR Part 121 must possess

an ATP. Section 217 requires specific flight and academic training to prepare the pilot to operate in FAR Part 121 operations and sets 1,500 hours as the minimum flight time required for an ATP. However, Section 217 gives the FAA administrator the ability to give flight hour credit toward the 1,500-hour requirement for specific academic training courses that will “enhance safety.”

In July 2010, as the draft bill that would ultimately become P.L. 111-216 moved through Congress, the FAA chartered an ARC to review and make recommendations regarding flight experience and training requirements for first officers in FAR Part 121 operations. ALPA had three participants on the ARC. The Air Transport Association (now Airlines for America), the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Coalition of Airline

Pilot Associations, the National Air Disaster Alliance, the National Business Aircraft Association, the Regional Airline Association, airlines, aviation flight academies, flight training organizations, and aviation colleges and universities also participated on the ARC.

As the ARC began its work, it was important to the group to attempt to preserve the current paths to becoming an airline pilot because while some paths were more tailored toward airline operations, each path produces qualified airmen. After intense work, discussion, and deliberations over 90 days, the ARC produced a report that outlined the aeronautical knowl-edge, skills, proficiencies, and flight experience necessary to prepare an individual for FAR Part 121 operations. Included were recommendations that SIC pilots be type-rated in the aircraft they’ll be flying, demonstrating the same knowledge and skills as the PIC as well as possessing knowledge specific to FAR Part 121 operations and multiengine, multicrew, and turbine-aircraft flight experience.

The ARC also developed an “equivalency” credit matrix that the FAA could use to give flight hour credit against specific training programs and/or courses that enhance safety. This credit matrix accounted for the current paths an individual could follow to obtain the knowledge, skills, proficiencies, and flight experi-ence necessary to be hired as an FAR Part 121 first officer.

The FAA accepted the final ARC report and recommenda-tions in October 2010 and in February 2012 released NPRM Docket FAA-2010-0100, Pilot Certification and Qualification Requirements for Air Carrier Operations.

While the ARC represented a great deal of work to ensure that ALPA’s safety interests were covered, the NPRM and eventual FAA rule are only a start in an ongoing discussion and debate in selecting, licensing, and training future airline pilots in the U.S., Canada, and the rest of the world. Global perspec-tives on airline pilot training standards will continue to influ-ence U.S. and Canadian regulatory requirements. ALPA must be assured that any new requirements for qualifying airline pilots maintain high standards necessary for safe flight operations. The Association is ready to participate in future rulemaking efforts as new technology, airline market conditions, and an ever-changing operating environment dictate change.

ALPA must be assured that any new requirements for qualifying airline pilots maintain high standards necessary for safe flight operations.



AlPA’s Secretary-Treasurers Conference:

learning the Association’s Financial ropesTwo dozen pilots, elected to serve as ALPA’s financial

gatekeepers, met with the Association’s leaders and professional staff March 13–15 for the union’s annual

Secretary-Treasurers Conference. For three days, the attendees learned about financial stewardship and accountability while getting to know their peers at other ALPA pilot groups.

“We’re responsible for minding the pilots’ money,” said Capt. Randy Helling, ALPA’s vice president– finance/treasurer, who welcomed the group and reviewed the meeting’s agenda. He added, “Not only minding the pilots’ money but maintaining their

trust—the trust that their money is being spent wisely on their behalf.”

In a series of presentations, Helling talked about the need to perform fiscal duties consistently, fairly, and with transparency. He described the secretary-treasurer as a team player, empha-sizing the importance of “helping your pilot volunteers find a way to achieve their goals within the established policies and

procedures of the Association.”Capt. Bill Couette, ALPA’s vice

president–administration/secretary, spent time reviewing what he called the “rules of the road,” outlining the process for conducting council business and, in particular, meetings. “in this industry, there are two kinds of

pilots: those who have and those who will,” said capt. randy helling, alPa’s vice

president–finance/treasurer, in a segment about the “difficult and painful” process

of managing airline mergers.

“we’re here to make your job easier,” said erin Philbin, supervi-

sor of alPa’s membership and council services department.

“if these sections are flawed, they don’t work and the union doesn’t have the

underpinning to carry out its mission,” said bruce york, director of alPa’s representation department, explaining the importance of

negotiating clear agency shop language and flight pay loss provisions during collective

bargaining. because these sections are not front and center in most pilots’ minds, york encouraged attendees to provide information about them to members and to negotiate efficiently to complete

them—just like all sections of the contract.

“you have a special responsibility because of your authority over the association’s financ-

es,” clay warner, an alPa managing attorney, told conference attendees, as he described a

secretary-treasurer’s fiduciary duties.

“The number one expense for a master executive

council” was how margarita lorenzetti, director of alPa’s

finance department, de-scribed flight pay loss.

“we encourage every master executive council to have at least one meeting in herndon per year,” said Jalmer Johnson, alPa’s general manager, talking about the recent renovation of

the herndon, va., offices and the facility’s expanded conference center.

Capt. Randy Helling, ALPA’s vice president–finance/treasurer, welcomed the group and reviewed the meeting’s agenda.


He noted that when submitting an agenda item for a meeting, it’s important that a pilot provide a written resolution to help members of the council understand what the specific concerns are and what is being proposed.

Attendees heard from ALPA’s professional staff on top-ics like dues dollars and budgeting, the status of the Major Contingency Fund (ALPA’s war chest), purchasing policies, and member compensation. The three-day meeting also included an IT update on new services being developed, a briefing on projected airline industry performance, and an update from ALPA’s Special Committee for Finance, Structure, and Services on Association improvements.

Secretary-treasurers learned about ancillary activities such as the proper time to open a strike center and received a briefing on the logistics of ALPA’s Board of Directors meeting, taking place this October. Throughout the Conference, Helling repeat-ed what’s come to be known as the ALPA secretary-treasurer mantra—“live within your budget.”—John Perkinson, Staff Writer

Representing the Range

Capt. Jonathan Allen (Pinnacle), his pilot group’s vice chairman and acting treasurer, told Air Line Pilot that this was his first ALPA Secretary-Treasurers Conference. His reasons for attending were several. “I’m hoping to get an overall picture of ALPA’s financial situation,” he said, “to learn the procedures to take care of our MEC and the needs of our pilots, and to network with other secretary-treasurers throughout ALPA for support and coordination.”

Capt. Mike Hamilton (United), an ALPA executive vice president and his pilot group’s secretary-treasurer, who participated as both a Conference presenter and an at-tendee, has been to many of these conferences. He views this year’s event as a “refresher course” for his duties, adding that “it’s good to make new connections and be reminded of the many services available.”

Richard Healing, a former NTSB member, tells ALPA’s technical group chairs about his company’s prototype collision avoidance system designed for remotely piloted aircraft and other possible applications.

Summit of the Tech ChairsWho among your fellow line pilots has your back on acci-

dent analysis and prevention, aircraft design and opera-tions, airport ground environment, air traffic services,

human factors and training, aviation sustainability and the envi-ronment, and all things airline safety in the U.S. and Canada?

ALPA’s technical groups! These subject-matter experts, dedicated to serving their fellow pilots and the traveling and shipping public on a wide range of safety issues, cover a broad sweep of matters that include the perennial and the not-yet-in-the-news cutting-edge technology that typifies the ever-changing world of aviation.

On March 20–21, Capt. Charles Hogeman (United), ALPA’s

Aviation Safety chairman, convened a meeting of ALPA’s technical group chairs in Herndon, Va. The very full two-day agenda included individual updates on their group’s activities; planning for the 2012 ALPA Air Safety Forum; selecting pilots to recommend for safety awards to be presented at the Forum; budget reviews; and updates to ALPA websites.

Capt. Sean Cassidy, ALPA’s first vice president and national safety coordinator, told the technical group chairmen, “Everything matters—you’re in leadership roles. We’re relying on your skills as diplomats and communicators to carry line pilots’ agenda and message forward.”

And so they have. Here are a few highlights:

Sense and AvoidRichard Healing, a former NTSB member, talked about the lightweight (less than 1 pound), low-power (1 watt), low-cost (less than $2,000) All Weather Sense and Avoid System (AWSAS) that his company has developed for remotely piloted aircraft and other applications. Several validation tests of AWSAS have been completed. Others are under way or planned for later this year, “with the complete cooperation of the FAA Tech Center,” Healing said.

The group chairs plan to meet next during the week of the AlPA 2012 Air Safety Forum, to be held August 6–9 in Washington, D.C.

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Accident Analysis and Prevention groupCapt. Jeff Perin (Spirit), chair of the ALPA Accident Analysis and Prevention (AAP) Group, reported that• the persistent efforts of F/O Mark Rogers (United) to obtain stricter rules for shipments of lithium batteries by air have resulted in more stringent ICAO recommended practices and awareness among insur-ance brokers of the potential risk to insurers posed

by lithium batteries.• ALPA is keeping a close eye on some FOQA and ASAP programs while gathering FOQA/ASAP “best practices.”• ALPA accident investigators are involved in dealing with the fatal First Air accident near Resolute, Nunavut Territory, Canada, and several field office investigations.

Airport ground Environment groupF/O Steve Jangelis (Delta), chair of ALPA’s Airport Ground Environment Group, described• several significant safety improvements that ALPA obtained in the ongoing project to extend Runway 10R at FLL—which, Jangelis emphasized, has national implications because other U.S. airports will be looking to build elevated runways to gain access to previously unattainable real estate.• ALPA line pilot representatives’ involvement in naming new taxiways at ORD, which will have eight runways in its final configuration. • ALPA’s recommendations to the FAA to use increased airport R&D funds to test the firefighting aspects of new aircraft biofuels and blends, which may differ substantially from those of petroleum-based Jet A.

Birds in vicinity…Perkins and Jangelis described new avian radar that is capable of detecting individual birds and flocks within 10–12 miles of an airport, measuring and recording their altitude, track, and other information with a two-second update rate. The new technology, approved by the FAA for Airport Improvement Program funding, raises important questions about (1) how this information should be relayed to airline cockpits and (2) what pilots should do with the information. ALPA will be developing a position on these issues in the near future.

Human Factors and Training groupCapt. Frank Cheeseman (United), chair of ALPA’s Human Factors and Training (HFT) Group, discussed the FAA’s recent notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding minimum qualifications for first officers. “ALPA had a lot of involvement in the Aviation Rulemaking Committee that led to these proposed changes to the FARs,” he advised, “but it’s not a document without controversy.”

Cheeseman noted that the HFT Group’s mis-sion involves regulatory development but also helping individual master executive councils (MECs). He said the Group has recently worked with the United, Eagle, and Mesa MECs on HFT issues specific to those pilot groups.

CanadaCapt. Bob Perkins (Jazz), ALPA’s Canada air safety coordinator, reported

that• Canada has elected to continue to use the Canadian Runway Friction Index (CRFI), instead of the subjec-tive terms “good,” “fair,” “poor,” and “nil,” for reporting braking capability.• in late 2011, Canada reinstated the “250 below 10” speed limit that had been in effect before 1997.

• he continues to serve on a Canadian government-industry runway safety group that has broadened its scope to include excursions, not just incursions.

going greenCapt. Kathi Hurst (United), project team leader of ALPA’s Aviation Sustainability and Environment effort, reported that she has attended numerous meetings at locations around the world to represent ALPA’s safety concerns regarding conserving fuel and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. NextGen, she said, includes many airspace design issues and procedures and that

some of the new operational concepts proposed by nonpilots need the input of a line pilot.

Air Traffic Services groupF/O Marc Henegar (Alaska), ALPA’s Air Traffic Services Group chair, discussed the Group’s successful efforts to improve ALPA’s relationship with FAA air traffic facilities and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. ATS group members are involved with air traffic issues nationally and at local air traffic facilities to help improve safety while reducing pilots’ exposure to violations and incidents. They are also working on new procedure implementation, phraseology, and education to improve pilot interaction with ATC. Looking toward the future, the ATS Group is actively participating in projects including ADS-B, datacom, and datalink, which involve the digital delivery of weather, aeronautical information, NOTAMs, and ATC instructions to the flight deck. The Group is also involved with• better education regarding RNAV phraseology and aircraft perfor-mance issues with ATC,• U.S./Canadian phraseology differences,• the implementation of Climb Via, companion to Descend Via, planned for June,• the FAA Go-Around Issues Working Group, identifying and resolving issues presented by unplanned go-arounds, and• Class B airspace entry/exit phraseology.

Aircraft Design and Operations groupCapt. Bill de Groh (American Eagle), chair of ALPA’s Aircraft Design and Operations Group, talked about• ALPA’s Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL) project team’s campaign to remove the CRJ nosewheel steering relief from the MMEL, which currently allows CRJs to be dispatched with nosewheel steering

inoperative (requiring the CRJ to be towed to and from the gate).• ongoing FAA work to define an “acceptable” wake turbulence encounter that may provide revised wake separation criteria for NextGen. Proposed changes to aircraft wake categories were also discussed.• ongoing ALPA efforts to resolve issues with RNAV/RNP

procedures at MSP. • ALPA line pilot representation in government/industry working groups dealing with low-speed awareness and alerting, appropriate vs. inappropriate use of rudder, and other aircraft handling and maneuver-ing issues.

Heard during the day...

—Jan W. Steenblik, Technical Editor


by John Perkinson Staff Writer

AlPA reverses Pilot’s Termination

ALPAToolbox

Capt. Lino Rojas (Pin-nacle) can certainly tell you about the impor-

tance of ALPA representation. The new secretary-treasurer for Local Council 127 attend-ed ALPA’s Leadership Train-ing Conference in February, where he and his fellow reps learned about the Associa-tion’s many resources. How-ever, the events that led to his termination from Pinnacle in 2008 and his reinstatement two years later have given him an even greater appre-ciation regarding the value of being an ALPA member. Here’s his story.

Rojas was getting ready for the next leg of a trip on Sept. 26, 2008, when, about 30 minutes before departure, he was approached by a new and inexperienced clerk from Pinnacle’s local administra-tive offices. The clerk advised him that he would need to take a drug test. Other crew-members were in the vicinity and witnessed the exchange.

“I told her [the clerk] that she would need to notify the company that this flight would not be able to leave on time,” Rojas said. He expressed his willingness to perform the drug test but felt he should inform the clerk that if he left to get drug tested without a relief captain it would delay the flight. She then excused him from testing.

Rojas apprised her of that risk because of a current com-pany campaign emphasizing the importance of on-time

departures. Pinnacle performs flying for Delta. At that particular time in 2008, Delta was threatening to terminate its contract, contending that the regional airline was not meeting its stipulated on-time performance requirements.

On October 30, Rojas was approached by the same clerk for a drug test before another imminent departure. Again he had a witness and again, the clerk, after consulting with Rojas, excused him. Rojas later learned that the clerk subsequently reported that he refused to take the drug test.

“That’s when everything went haywire,” Rojas said. “The company conducted a hasty investigation, and I was termi-

nated on Nov. 11, 2008.” When Pinnacle issued Rojas’s letter of termination, the airline also reported the incident to the FAA, which took emergency revocation action, rescinding all of his certificates.

Rojas didn’t know what to do. “I called my status rep, who suggested I take a drug test the very next day,” he said. Rojas had worked in the industry since 1987, in vari-ous positions with Pan Am and United before becoming a pilot for Pinnacle in 2001. He had been subjected to numerous random drug tests for more than 10 years and had always tested negative.

Rojas also filed a grievance. Many ALPA pilots and staff members would come to

his aid in the coming years, but the person who worked most closely with him to see his case through to the end was Suzanne Kalfus, an ALPA senior attorney.

“I was initially brought in to handle the revocation action,” said Kalfus. “We filed his appeal with the National Transportation Safety Board, culminating in a hearing before an administrative law judge. At the end of the hear-ing, the judge issued a ruling from the bench finding that Lino had not refused the test and, therefore, reversing the revocation.”

However, that wasn’t the end of it. The FAA appealed the finding to the NTSB, requiring the parties to brief the case in fall 2009. The NTSB ultimately upheld the administrative law judge’s position that December, supporting the full reversal of the revocation. Unfortunately, Pinnacle maintained the termination, compelling Rojas and ALPA to then take his case to arbitration.

Following three days of hearings, the arbitrator issued an oral decision upholding the grievance and overturn-ing the termination. Rojas was reinstated in July 2010 and returned to the line two months later. However, ALPA and Pinnacle would continue to seek to resolve Rojas’ back pay and lost sick and vacation leave. Final resolution of the remedy was completed in January 2012.

Last October, Rojas decided to give something back to the organization that had

Suzanne Kalfus, left, an ALPA senior attorney, worked closely with Capt. Rojas to see his case through to the end.

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so thoroughly supported him throughout this process. He ran for and was elected secretary-treasurer for his local council. He’s now the person offering advice and support to those in his pilot group who need help.

“Before this experience, I

Comply Now and Grieve laterKalfus notes that the facts of this case are unique and should not be read to encourage pilots not to comply with required Department of Transportation/FAA drug and alcohol testing. If there is a question about a directive to submit to testing, the pilot should contact his or her chief pilot or duty officer before leaving the site. The safest approach is to comply now and grieve later. Pilots should remember that the FAA routinely revokes all of a pilot’s airmen certificates upon receiving a company report of a refusal to submit to or cooperate with testing.

Suzanne Kalfus is ALPA’s legal expert on drug and alcohol testing, having worked with the governing federal regulations since their inception. She also serves as the legal advisor to the HIMS (Human Intervention and Motivation Study) Advisory Board, the entity that over-sees implementation of the federal contract awarded to ALPA for education and training about the peer interven-tion and treatment program for airline pilots.

was totally unaware of the ex-tent of ALPA’s resources,” said Rojas. But given all that he has experienced, Rojas now knows the full magnitude of the resources the Association has to offer its members. And Rojas has his job back to prove it.

Capt. Rojas decided to give something back to the organization that had so thoroughly supported him throughout this process. He ran for and was elected secretary-treasurer for his local council. Here he attends ALPA’s Leadership Training Conference held in February.

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by Capt. Joe Doniach (united)

OpinionsThe balance of Power

Since the Airline Deregu-lation Act was passed in 1978, average airline

pilot pay in the United States has declined more than 40 percent, from $222,108 in 1977 (in 2010 dollars) to $132,175 in 2010. This is a huge loss of purchasing pow-er, and it doesn’t take into account the loss of benefits, principally the loss of most defined-benefit retirement plans. It doesn’t matter who we’ve had leading ALPA and the other pilot unions. From best to worst, nobody has been able to do more than briefly slow the decline in our pay.

It’s small comfort to know that we airline pilots are not alone. During the same period, median hourly wages in the U.S. have also declined, although not quite so dramatically—a mere 9.4 percent.

Why has our compensation fallen so much, and why have we been unable to reverse the decline? Quite simply, it’s because, within the framework that governs how we airline pilots negotiate contracts, the balance of power has swung sharply in management’s favor. That framework consists of two key components, the Railway Labor Act (RLA) and the Airline Deregulation Act.

The RLA has turned out to be an extremely anti-labor piece of legislation. How could a law that, as its first duty, is designed to prevent

disruptions to commerce; a law that prevents union contracts from expiring; a law that only allows unions to go on strike when the government says they can be otherwise? The RLA takes away a union’s greatest strength—the ability to withdraw labor’s services when the union decides that doing so is in the best interests of its members.

The RLA was enacted in 1926 to put an end to the wildcat strikes that had plagued the railway industry since the end of the Civil War by mandating that transportation unions maintain the status quo at all times—regardless of whether or not a contract has passed its amendable date. Acts by unions that defy the law—i.e., acts that cause economic harm to an employer—are subject to punitive damages. It’s not the threat of jail time that’s a deterrent, it’s the threat of economic sanctions that has the potential to personally bankrupt each member of a union who breaks the law.

As a concession to workers, the RLA set up a mechanism for unions to negotiate new contracts and resolve disputes, overseen by the National Mediation Board (NMB). The problem is that the NMB’s first duty is to abide by the RLA’s requirement to prevent disruptions to commerce, not to compel a union and an employer to agree to a new contract. Beyond the threat of a strike, there’s

really no mechanism in the Act to punish an employer for dragging out negotiations. The entire structure of the Act is designed to prevent strikes. A union is required to surmount a huge number of hurdles to actually be permitted to go on strike. That’s why the average time for an airline union to negotiate a new contract is now well beyond three years after a contract has passed its amendable date.

Before the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, there was little incentive for airline managers to force concessions on employees. The airlines were operated as quasi-public utilities, with profits guaranteed by the Civil Aeronautics Board. As a result, and as a result of Decision 83, airline pilot pay rose handsomely, allowing airline pilots to consider themselves firmly in the ranks of the professional classes, along

with doctors and lawyers.But all that changed

with deregulation. The existing airlines—the legacy carriers—suddenly found themselves having to compete with a whole slew of new airlines financed by investors seduced, as always, by the prospect of easy money and the glamor of aviation. But with everyone selling basically the same thing—seat miles—the only way to compete was by selling tickets for less than everybody else. With absolutely no regulations on ticket prices, the bloodletting began, and continues to this day. U.S. airlines have lost money in 23 of the last 32 years since deregulation, nearly $70 billion all told. There is no end in sight to the madness, because whenever the surviving airlines start to show signs of profitability, a whole new round of start-ups begins— once again driving the indus-

Editor’s note: Capt. Doniach raises important questions about the effect of the Railway Labor Act (RLA) on airline employee negotiations and offers many incisive com-ments. Studied over the past 25 years, the effect of the RLA has differed depending on the nature of the specific bar-gaining cycle being considered. One subject that deserves additional attention, and which will be the subject of an upcoming Air Line Pilot article, is the effect of the U.S. bankruptcy code on pilot and airline employee bargaining during the 2001 to 2006 bargaining cycle (and currently at American Airlines), and how negotiations under the bankruptcy code changed RLA negotiating practices and results. Air Line Pilot thanks Capt. Doniach for the work he has done and the observations he offers, and ALPA members are encouraged to look for the follow-on article in next month’s Air Line Pilot.


try into losses in an endless cycle of boom and bust.

The airline managers’ responses to the new paradigm were entirely predictable. They went after the easiest target, employee compensation, in every manner possible. Mergers, layoffs, two-tier wages,

than 25 percent. Pilot pay has been cut by more than 40 percent, considerably more when other concessions, such as the loss of defined-benefit pensions, are added. As soon as another airline employee union agrees to concessions, someone else comes along paying even less, and the

travel has devolved to the point that it is a thoroughly miserable experience for just about everybody. Even the first expectation, that deregulation would lower fares, is debatable. Airline ticket prices had been steadily declining in the 30 years before deregulation, as airliners became bigger and more efficient to operate. And there is no reason that the trend would not have continued without the passage of deregulation.

So who, exactly, has gained from the deregulation of the airline industry? Certainly not the passengers, not the employees, and not the shareholders. Perhaps the only group that has made out well has been airline executives, who have vastly increased their compensation, almost in inverse proportion to the length of their tenures.

Unfortunately, reversing the decline is no easy task, because it would take changing the rules of the

Sources: ALPA’s Economic & Financial Analysis Department and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

game—the RLA and the Airline Deregulation Act—to tilt the balance of power back toward labor. With the U.S. House of Representatives controlled by the Republicans, and the Senate with less than a filibuster-proof majority of Democrats, there is zero chance of changing the RLA to give more power to labor. But there is a chance of pressing Congress to make rules that would benefit consumers, such as making airlines financially liable for the sins of their subcontractors. Such rules would also benefit airline unions by increasing the cost of outsourcing. Introducing some forms of re-regulation would restore a modicum of rationality to the industry.

Just about everybody in this country has a horror story to tell about the miseries of air travel after 33 years of deregulation. Until U.S. citizens are prepared to elect representatives who vote for the interests of the 99 percent of us instead of the top 1 percent, then perhaps another means would be to combine forces with consumer groups such as FlyersRights.org and the Families of Continental Flight 3407. Together, we may be able to bring pressure on Congress to put an end to the madness that hasn’t even served the traveling public well.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the thoughts and opinions of the author and not necessarily those of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l.

Average u.S. Airline Pilot Salary

So who, exactly, has gained from the deregulation

of the airline industry? Certainly not the passengers, not the employees, and not the shareholders. Perhaps the only group that has made out well has been airline executives….

strikebreakers, bankruptcy courts, loss of pensions, outsourcing—everything was, and is, fair game to managers desperate to lower their costs below those of their competitors. The result is that airline employee compensation, once nearly 40 percent of total costs, has been cut by a third, to less

downward spiral continues.Airline deregulation was

premised on an expectation that an unregulated industry would attract new airlines and increase competition, thereby benefiting consumers with lower fares and improved service. The second expectation has turned out to be manifestly false—air


OurStories

Imagine finding a way to turn your favor-ite pastime into a philanthropic cam-paign to help others. That’s just what

F/O John Blonsick (Delta) accomplished, kayaking his way down the St. Johns River in Florida to raise money for the Wound-ed Warrior Project, a charitable program that aids injured service members.

Blonsick, a former chairman of Delta Local Council 71 and the son of a former Eastern pilot, spent last fall and winter paddling down the St. Johns, one of Florida’s major interior wetlands. At 310 miles, the St. Johns is the longest river in the state and was named an American Heritage River by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1998.

Patriot PaddleThe Airbus A330 pilot completed the 160-mile journey deemed Patriot Paddle, putting in six to eight hours a day in 15- to 25-mile increments, and raising nearly $4,500 for Wounded Warriors.

On an early leg, Blonsick kayaked from Sanford to Hontoon Island, a Timucuan Indian settlement dating back 2,000 years. “When you’re on the river along

this stretch, there’s no sign of civili-zation, which sounds nice until you’re in the middle of it and need

help,” he said. Paddling past alligators and water

moccasins, Blonsick was never truly alone, carrying a military-issue knife and, on occasion, a small handgun just to play it safe.

A former Navy C-130 Hercules pilot, Blonsick became involved with Wounded Warrior through an acquaintance. “A friend of mine, a civilian contractor, was in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan. He introduced me to Wounded Warrior,

and I decided right away that it was something I wanted to support.” An avid kayaker, Blonsick was determined to find a way to combine his longtime passion with this new one.

Raising awarenessThe Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is “to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, to help severely injured service members aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.” For more information about the charity, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

Blonsick continues to solicit corporate sponsors and contacts local news media to raise awareness for the program. He’s been featured in the Orlando Sentinel and other area newspapers and has received the backing of several local res-taurants, which advertise his campaign to customers and offer percentages of the tabs as donations. However, most of his support has come from individuals.

Back on the river, Blonsick spent another day traversing Lake George, the second-largest lake in Florida and the north central section of the river just east of Ocala. He describes Lake George as “kind of dangerous when it starts getting windy and choppy.” Fortunately, nature indulged him on this day, offering fair weather. Blonsick originally planned to follow the western shore to stay by the shallow part of the lake, but decided to go right down the middle to cut his distance and save time.

During fall and winter of 2011, Blonsick paddled past communities like DeBary, Astor, Georgetown, Satsuma, Welaka, Palatka, and Green Cove Springs as he worked his way north to Jacksonville. Occasionally, at the beginning or end of a leg, groups of sponsors, family members, and well-wishers would be there to cheer him on. And just as they were there for him, Blonsick was there for Wounded Warrior, helping the thousands of injured military personnel with the many dona-tions he collected and making a pledge to continue his support.

Going the Distance for Wounded Warriors

A good CauseIf you’d like to contribute to Blonsick’s efforts, go to http:// support.woundedwarriorproject.org/individual-fundraising/PatriotPaddle/. You can also visit Team Patriot Paddle on Facebook.

More to ComeF/O John Blonsick recently expanded Patriot Paddle to Team Patriot Paddle, announcing a new opportunity to get others out on the water to do good things for those who have done great things for us. The first annual Team Patriot Paddle event will be held May 27, launching from Katie’s Landing on the Wekiwa River in Sanford and ending at the Swamp House Grill on the St. Johns River. The eight-mile downstream trek is a great way to raise money and awareness for wounded veterans. For more information, go to www.meetup.com/adventuresinflorida/events/47110632/.

F/O John Blonsick (Delta) paddles down the St. Johns River to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

by John Perkinson, Staff Writer

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

http://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/individual-fundraising/PatriotPaddle/



www.meetup.com/adventuresinflorida/events/47110632/

http://www.meetup.com/adventuresinflorida/events/47110632/

http://www.meetup.com/adventuresinflorida/events/47110632/


Nutrition and exams For eye Healthby Dr. Quay Snyder ALPA Aeromedical Advisor

HealthWatch

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that may protect the lens of the eye from the formation of free radicals caused by radiation and aging.

Editor’s note: The following information, one of a series of “Health Watch” columns on vi-sion and eye health, is adapted from an article available at www.AviationMedicine.com.

Many people think about the role nutri-tion plays in lower-

ing the risk of heart disease, reaching ideal body weight, controlling diabetes, and other medical conditions. Yet few people consider nutrition with regard to optimizing their vision, a critical function for pilots. Current research supports the role of several nutrients in maintaining vi-sual health.

CataractsNext to errors in visual refraction, cataracts are the most important cause of degraded vision in pilots. This is particularly true after age 50. Approximately 1.5 million cataract surgeries are performed in the United States each year, costing $3.5 billion. More than half of the population over age 80 has had cataract surgery, and cataracts are the largest cause

of low vision in the U.S. These surgeries are the largest single item on the Medicare budget. More than 40,000 Americans are legally blind from cata-racts, though cataracts can be corrected with surgery. Several nutrients have been demonstrated to lower the risk of cataracts.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that may protect the lens of the eye from the formation of free radicals caused by radiation and aging. The lens concentrates vitamin C some 60 times more than the blood. Because the lens does not have a direct blood supply, however, dosages of 1,000 mg per day may be necessary to provide the lenses with the vitamin C they need. One medical study found that this dose signifi-cantly reduced the require-ment for cataract surgery over an 11-year period in 450 patients with cataracts com-pared with those not taking vitamin C supplements.

Vitamin E may also lower the risk of developing cataracts. In one study of 754 subjects, those taking a multivitamin supplement containing vitamin E reduced the rate of cataract formation. In those taking a regular vitamin E supplement and having higher blood concen-trations of vitamin E, cataract formation was reduced by half. Doses of 400–800 in-ternational units (IU) per day are recommended. Persons taking either 300 mg of vitamin C or more than 400 IU of vitamin E had less than half the amount of cataracts

as those who did not use supplements.

Selenium is an essential cofactor in breaking down hydrogen peroxide, a free radical, in the liquid-filled chamber in the front of the eye called the aqueous humor. The enzyme that does this, glutathione peroxidase, depends on selenium. One study showed reduced levels of selenium in the blood and aqueous humor of people with cataracts, but no differ-ence in selenium levels in the lens itself. N-acetyl-cysteine is a precursor to glutathione and helps maintain vitamin C levels in the eye. Zinc may also play a role in reducing the risk of age-related macu-lar degeneration (ARMD). Studies are under way, but definitive evidence is lacking.

ARMDA second significant cause of vision deterioration is ARMD. It is the leading cause of blindness in people 65 and older. ARMD is difficult to treat and may result in permanent blindness. More than 11 million Americans have ARMD, including as much as 20 percent of those aged 65 and older. The macula contains the rods of the retina responsible for

our sharpest vision. People affected with ARMD lose the ability to drive, read, and even recognize faces. Obviously, a pilot’s medical certificate is jeopardized even in early ARMD.

Risk factors for ARMD include smoking, blue eyes, longstanding exposure to UV radiation, family history of vision loss, female gender, and obesity. Recent evidence indicates poor nutrition may

increase the risk of ARMD. When your physician

looks in your eye, the macula appears yellow because of the high concentration of carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin. Many of these carotenoids are building blocks of vitamin A and beta-carotene. As well as improving night vision, these nutrients may exert an antioxidant effect that protects against

Cornea

Iris

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Retinal blood vessels

Macula

Retina

Magnified view of cataract in human eye

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HealthWatch

For more information on aeromedical issues, scan the QR code.

Solution to this month’s ALPA sudoku on page 38.

5 7 2 4 3 8 6 1 9

3 1 8 9 5 6 7 2 4

9 4 6 1 7 2 3 8 5

4 9 3 2 1 5 8 6 7

6 2 5 8 9 7 1 4 3

1 8 7 6 4 3 9 5 2

8 5 4 7 6 9 2 3 1

7 6 1 3 2 4 5 9 8

2 3 9 5 8 1 4 7 6

ALPA members in good standing can get free, con-fidential consultations and assistance with aeromedical certification by calling ALPA’s Aeromedical Office at 303-341-4435, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Information regarding FAA policies, medi-cal conditions, and medica-tions is available at www.AviationMedicine.com.

long-term UV exposure con-tributing to ARMD and sta-bilize capillary (blood vessel) membranes in the retina.

The National Eye Insti-tute’s Eye Disease Case Control Study showed that people with higher levels of carotenoids had lower risks of ARMD. Lutein, zeaxanthin, alpha and beta-carotene, lycopene, and cryptoxanthine all contributed to carotenoid levels. Vitamins C and E and selenium did not affect the risk of ARMD.

Lutein is a well-studied carotenoid that does not form vitamin A. Humans deposit lutein and zeaxanthin in the macula. They protect the macula from oxidative dam-age caused by free radicals triggered by UV and visible blue light. Lutein is 10 times more effective than vitamin E as an antioxidant in the eye. Studies show that the higher the concentration of lutein, the lower the risk of ARMD. One study found that 6 mg of lutein per day lowered the risk of ARMD by 43 percent. Several other studies support the role of lutein in reducing the risk of ARMD.

Bilberry is a plant related to the blueberry and cran-berry. It contains a high concentration of flavonoids and anthrocyanosides. They exert an antioxidant effect and improve ocular circula-tion. Bilberry also improves night vision by stimulating production of rhodopsin, an essential pigment in the rods

used in vision in low light. Anecdotally, one Royal Air

Force unit is said to have had much higher kill rates than other nearby units during the Battle of Britain. The flight surgeon researched differ-ences between the units and found that the only notable difference was that the higher scoring squadron regularly used bilberry jam at tea time because bilberries were found in the wild near the base.

checkups by your eye profes-sional will detect early warn-ing signs of glaucoma.

The intraocular pressure (IOP) of the fluid in the eye usually is measured by a machine that gives a puff of air against the cornea. This pressure is compared to “normal” pressures, similar to the way a person’s blood pressure is compared to normal pressure. Borderline values, called ocular hyperten-sion, are observed and higher values, termed glaucoma, can be treated with medication. Glaucoma also can be treated with laser surgery.

In glaucoma, chronic elevation of IOP is thought to damage the optic nerve at the back of the eye. No pain and no early symptoms are associated with most forms of glaucoma. If left untreated, a person with glaucoma begins to lose peripheral vision. This vision loss is permanent. Because the peripheral visual fields are lost initially, many victims do not notice this visual loss until the vision is restricted to a view similar to looking through a tube or a round window. Obviously, a pilot’s ability to clear for other aircraft is restricted by this condition.

The FAA medical examina-tion does not include a check of IOPs. Visual fields are noted on the exam, but even if the exam is performed correctly, it only detects late

changes. The FAA will issue a waiver to pilots to fly on most anti-glaucoma medica-tions or after surgery for glaucoma. Before returning to safety-sensitive duties with a diagnosis of or treatment for glaucoma, a pilot must have FAA Form 8500-14 completed by an eye-care specialist with complete visual field testing done. Contact the ALPA Aeromedical Office for aeromedical assistance in obtaining waivers to fly with this condition.

Diabetes Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working-age Americans. Diabetes leads to blindness by causing a condition known as diabetic retinopathy. Blood vessels in the back of the eye grow rapidly and leak blood into the back chamber of the eye, called the vitreous. These blood leaks block vision. The retina can also detach, which can lead to sudden blindness. Poor blood sugar control can lead to serum leaking into the retina. These leaks are called exudates. Cataract formation is also increased in diabetes. Diabetes is a very serious med-ical condition that requires careful evaluation, monitoring, and treatment. Vision changes are late findings with diabetes and indicate that other organ systems probably are affected also.

Although the explanation was not apparent at the time, current research supports this observation.

glaucoma: regular checkups save visionARMD affects primarily the central vision and is readily apparent to those afflicted with it. Glaucoma is a much more common condition that is not readily apparent to its victims. More than 2 million Americans have glaucoma, but only half have been diagnosed. Nearly 80,000 are blind from this entirely pre-ventable condition. Regular

From left: The same views with normal vision, with advanced vision loss from glaucoma, and with diabetic retinopathy.

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Looking for some help with aeromedical, communications, economic and financial analysis, engineer-ing and air safety, finance, government affairs, information technology, legal, membership, represen-tation, or retirement and insurance issues? ALPA is just a phone call or mouse click away. Located in major cities, from Honolulu to Montreal, throughout the U.S. and Canada, ALPA’s offices are staffed with more than 300 full-time employees to address the representational needs of its 53,000 members. You could say ALPA’s a one-stop shop for services tailored strictly for pilot members.

Originally headquartered in Chicago, the Association’s current home office is located in the Washington, D.C., area, with the Canada Board located in Ottawa, Ont., to be close to these two national seats of government.

DO YOU NEED ME NOW?

For a list of ALPA’s offices and contact info, go to www.alpa.org and click on ALPA Offices at the bottom of the page.

http://www.alpa.org/tabid/2399/Default.aspx

http://www.alpa.org/tabid/2399/Default.aspx


AlPA resources and Contact Numbers

AlPA Sudoku (© paulspages.co.uk)

Complete the sudoku puzzle so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 sub-grids that compose the grid contains all of the digits from 1 to 9.

The solution to this month’s ALPAsudoku can be found on page 36.

Too easy, too difficult? Tell us what you think. E-mail [email protected].

5 7 2 4 3 8 6 1 9

3 1 8 95 6 72 4

9 4 6 1 7 2 3 8 5

4 9 3 2 1 5 8 6 7

6 2 5 8 9 7 1 4 3

1 8 7 6 4 3 9 5 2

8 5 4 7 6 9 2 3 1

7 6 1 3 2 4 5 9 8

2 3 9 5 8 1 4 7 6

National OfficersFor complete biographical information on ALPA’s national officers, visit www.alpa.org or scan the QR code.

Capt. William Couette Vice President– Administration/Secretary

Capt. Randy HellingVice President–Finance/Treasurer

Capt. Tim CanollExecutive Administrator

Capt. Lee Moak President

Capt. Sean CassidyFirst Vice President

Executive Vice PresidentsFor more information on which pilot groups executive vice presidents represent, visit www.alpa.org/evp.

Capt. Joe Fagone FedEx Express

Capt. Larry Beck Continental

Capt. Bill Bartels Delta

F/O Michael Hamilton United

F/O Todd Ortscheid AirTran, Capital Cargo, Comair, Compass, North American, Spirit

Capt. Mark Nagel Air Transport Int’l, Atlantic Southeast, CommutAir, Pinnacle, PSA

Capt. Bill Patterson Air Wisconsin, Evergreen, ExpressJet, Hawaiian, Island Air, Sun Country

Capt. Thomas Maxwell Alaska, American Eagle, ASTAR, Mesa Air Group, Piedmont, Ryan, Trans States

Capt. Dan Adamus Air Transat, Bearskin, Calm Air, Canadian North, CanJet, First Air, Jazz Air, Kelowna Flightcraft, Wasaya

Have You Moved?Please call Membership Services at 1-888-359-2572, e-mail your new address to [email protected], or clip out this form—along with the mailing label

on the back cover—and send it toAlPA Membership Services

PO Box 1169, Herndon, VA 20172-1169

Name ________________________________________

Member # ____________________________________

Airline _______________________________________

New address __________________________________

Apt. __________ City _________________________

State _________ Zip __________________________

Want to know more about ALPA’s EVPs? Scan the QR code.

These photos were taken at the April 2012 ALPA Executive Board meeting. Governing Bodies Coordinator Maggie Erzen, in yellow, served as meeting secretary. Photos by Chris Weaver.

www.alpa.org

www.alpa.org/evp




ryan–RYN MEC 1-800-292-ALPA

Spirit–SPA MEC 765-481-9033

Sun Country–SCA MEC 952-853-2393

Trans States–TSA MEC 610-805-5387

united–UAL MEC 847-292-1700

Wasaya–WSG MEC 807-624-7270

*Pilot group in custodianship

The following ALPA resources may be reached by e-mail or by dialing, toll-free, 1-888-359-2572 (1-888-FLY-ALPA). Once connected, dial the last four digits of the number listed below.

Accident Investigation ([email protected]) 703-689-4312

Accounting and Finance ([email protected]) 703-689-4144

Air Line Pilot ([email protected]) 703-481-4460

AlPA Main Number 703-689-2270

AlPA-PAC 202-797-4033

ASPeN 703-689-4220

balloting ([email protected]) 703-689-4173

Cashiering ([email protected]) 703-689-4385

Communications ([email protected]) 703-481-4440

To obtain membership account information or to update your records or your postal or e-mail address via the Internet, go to the My ALPA area of Crewroom.alpa.org; or dial the toll-free number 1-888-359-2572 (1-888-FLY-ALPA) and choose menu option 3.

Listed below are the telephone numbers of MEC offices.

AirTran–ATN MEC 404-763-5165

Air Transat–TSC MEC 1-888-337-2033

Air Transport International–ATI MEC 505-263-8838

Air Wisconsin–ARW MEC 317-697-5113

Alaska–ALA MEC 206-241-3138

American eagle–EGL MEC 817-685-7474

ASTAr Air Cargo–DHL MEC 859-282-1475

*ATA–ATA MEC 773-284-4910

Atlantic Southeast–ASA MEC 404-209-8566

bearskin–BRS MEC 807-628-5683

Calm Air–CMA MEC 204-471-1000

Canadian North–CNP MEC 780-718-6012

CanJet–CJA MEC 1-800-959-1751

Capital Cargo–CCI MEC 256-289-0428

Comair–CMR MEC 859-282-9016

CommutAir–CMT MEC 440-985-8579

Compass–CPZ MEC 952-853-2373

Continental–CAL MEC 281-987-3636

Delta–DAL MEC 404-763-4925

evergreen–EIA MEC 503-474-3880

expressJet–XJT MEC 281-987-3636

Fedex express–FDX MEC 901-752-8749

First Air–FAB MEC 1-877-459-3272

Freedom–MAG MEC 602-306-1116

Hawaiian–HAL MEC 808-836-2572

Island Air–AIS MEC 808-838-0188

Air Line Pilot is not responsible for un solicited manu-scripts, photographs, or other ma te r ials. Unsolicited materials will be re turned only if submitted with a self- addressed, stamped envelope. Opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily represent official ALPA position or policy.

Subscriptions: Subscription rate for pilot mem bers, $25, included in ALPA member ship dues; for students, $37; for U.S. nonmembers, $50; for foreign, $65. Resi-dents of the state of Washington must add 8.8 percent sales tax. To subscribe online go to www.alpa.org/subscriptions or call 703-481-4460. To request address changes, call 703-689-4311.

Address Changes for Members only: E-mail to [email protected].

Air Line Pilot is printed in the United States and pub-lished for professional airline pilots in the United States and Canada who are members of the Air Line Pilots Association, International.

other organizationsALPA Aeromedical Office 303-341-4435ALPA Federal Credit Union 1-800-747-2349

AlPA Accident/Incident HotlineIf you are involved in an accident, incident, or alleged violation of a federal aviation regulation, contact your local or central air safety chairman, regional safety chairman, or the worldwide ALPA accident/incident hotline at 202-797-4180 (collect calls are accepted) for an immediate response 24 hours per day. As a backup number, call 703-892-4180. To report a safety problem or airspace system defi-ciency, call 1-800-424-2470 or e-mail [email protected].

2012 ebCb ScheduleThe Association’s Election and Ballot Cer t i fi cation Board’s schedule for counting ballots is May 10, June 11, July 10, August 10, September 10, October 10, November 12, and December 10. Any ALPA member in good standing may be present as an observer during any meeting. Contact the Associa-tion’s Membership and Council Services Department for scheduling.

Director of Communications Marie Schwartz

editor Sharon B. VerebTechnical editor Jan W. Steenblik

Associate Managing editor Susan FagerDesign and Production editor William A. Ford

Staff Writer John PerkinsonContributing Writer/Special Projects Molly Martin

Motion Graphics Specialist Eric Davis ePublishing editor Jesica Ferry

Web Coordinators Cicely Jenkins, Chris Weaver

Capt. Tim CanollExecutive Administrator

Computer Help line ([email protected]) 703-689-4357

Council Services ([email protected]) 703-689-4311

Discipline and Discharge ([email protected]) 703-689-4226

economic and Financial Analysis ([email protected]) 703-689-4289

election dates leC/MeC 703-689-4212

engineering and Air Safety ([email protected]) 703-689-4200

FAA enforcement or Medical Certificate Action ([email protected]) 703-689-4226

Government Affairs ([email protected]) 202-797-4033

Human resources ([email protected]) 703-689-4262

Information Technology and Services ([email protected]) 703-689-4223

legal ([email protected]) 202-797-4096 703-689-4326

Membership Services ([email protected]) 1-888-359-2572 (1-888-FLY-ALPA), option 3

IT operations and Services ([email protected]) 703-689-4245

organizing ([email protected]) 703-689-4179

Publishing Services ([email protected]) 703-689-4185

Purchasing ([email protected]) 703-689-4319

representation ([email protected]) 703-689-4375

real estate ([email protected]) 703-689-4105

retirement and Insurance (R&[email protected]) 703-689-4115

System board of Adjustment ([email protected]) 703-689-4226

Jazz–JAZ MEC 1-800-561-9576

Kelowna Flightcraft–KFC MEC 250-878-7950

Mesa–MAG MEC 602-306-1116

North American–NAA MEC 732-778-6969

Piedmont–PDT MEC 339-987-1277

Pinnacle–PCL MEC 901-527-0355

PSA–PSA MEC 616-405-3962

AlPA Headquarters: 1625 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036

Postmaster: Send address changes to Air Line Pilot, PO Box 1169, Herndon, VA 20172-1169.

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40620579: Return undeliverable magazines sent to Canadian ad-dresses to 2835 Kew Drive, Windsor, ON, Canada N8T 3B7.

ALPA Information Numbers

Membership Services




Mailto: [email protected]





























crewroom.alpa.org

www.alpa.org/subscriptions

www.alpa.org/subscriptions




Make sure ALPA’s Loss of License Insurance is part of your flight plan. Call 1-800-746 ALPA (2572), visit www.alpa.org/mbin

or scan the QR code.

“You hope for the best, but plan for the worst.”Capt. John V. Biggers (United)

“when You are unable to flY, it’s too late to applY.”F/O Martha A. Collins (United)

“You never know when You’re going to have a disabilitY in life.”F/O Mike Eberling (Delta)

A member service of Air Line Pilot.

ALPA’s Loss of License insuRAnce

these pilots know. do You?

www.alpa.org/mbin

heads up - air line pilots association, international...may 2012 air line pilot 5 aviationmatters...

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