APA News Digest

Dec. 13, 2024

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In This Edition ...

Operation Airlift for Asheville

This article was written by Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Shalyn Marchetti.

CA Burt Dunlap and FO Blake Dunlap were two of the Operation Airlift for Asheville volunteers.

Hurricane Helene slammed into Asheville, N.C., and the surrounding area on Sept. 27. For those in coastal areas, hurricanes are merely a fact of life. Yet for the mountainous community of Asheville, getting hit with a Category 4 hurricane was devastating. The rainfall caused massive flooding. Over 100 people lost their lives. Hundreds more would lose their homes, businesses, cars, and treasured possessions. Many residents went without power and clean water for up to seven weeks.

With the storm damaging many of the roads in and out of the Appalachian communities, getting help seemed like an impossible wish for those affected. That’s when FO Spencer Radke and his family stepped up.

“After the storm on Friday, Saturday was a lot of cleanup around the house,” says FO Radke, an A320 pilot based at CLT. “Saturday night, I saw the devastation and need online.”

FO Radke and his family have a 5,000-square-foot hangar at the airport in Lincolnton, N.C. On a typical day, IPJ mainly serves general aviation pilots, perhaps a few charters. On Sept. 29, the sleepy little airport jumped to life.

The donated products in the Radkes’ hangar would be turned over four times a day.

“Some folks had started the donation process, and those donations were coming into Lincolnton. We started staging tables, staging the operation, and got ready to fly the supplies out,” FO Radke recalls. “It was a grassroots operation.

“Our first run was that Sunday,” FO Radke continues, “We flew about 2,000 pounds of supplies into the Jackson County Airport in a Cessna Caravan. Right before we left, we got word that a local gentleman’s daughter was stranded up there. We were able to get her out. We did a lot of that over the next week.”

You can read the rest of the story at AlliedPilots.org/News.

Positive Rate Episode 38: Air Traffic & Procedures

In the latest episode of APA’s “Positive Rate” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with CA Andy Alfiero, who serves on the Air Traffic & Procedures Subcommittee of the APA Safety Committee. CA Alfiero emphasizes that “we’re here as your advocates,” detailing how the subcommittee works with various stakeholders to advance aviation safety.

Each episode of “Positive Rate” features various APA leaders and the subject-matter experts working on the membership’s behalf. The podcast is available through popular streaming services, including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can search for “Positive Rate” or “Allied Pilots Association” on your platform of choice to subscribe and download. Your first opportunity to listen will be via AlliedPilots.org/Podcasts.

We welcome your feedback on this format. If you have a question or comment, please send it to Communications Director Gregg Overman via goverman@alliedpilots.org.

Holiday Layovers

This is a new message from the APA Hotel Committee.

Flying over the holidays can be a disappointment; however, crews often find a way to make the most of their time away from home by planning a meal together or bringing family members or a guest along for their trip.

Although food options can be limited, hotels typically have a list of options and hours for a holiday meal. Sometimes the hotel will offer a complimentary meal for crews. If we are made aware of this for a particular property, we will post a temporary notification on the Hotel Webpages. We also recommended reaching out to hotels ahead of time for market-specific information. Contact information can easily be found on our Hotel Webpages.

If you are planning an adventurous holiday and bringing family or guests with you on your layover, there are a couple of things to consider. American Airlines contracts for a hotel room for only one guest. Crews are sometimes charged extra if they bring a guest to Europe or an all-inclusive hotel. If you bring someone, you are responsible for any applicable cost incurred for your guest. We recommend that you call ahead and inquire what obstacles and costs are associated with bringing a guest. Additionally, transportation is only contracted for the crew. Typically, this is for insurance reasons. If there is no room in the vehicle for an additional rider or the transportation company objects, please be prepared to secure alternate transportation.

Sometimes information about bringing an additional guest is available on the APA Hotel Webpage for each property. If it is not, please submit feedback so we can populate the information for future crews.

Your Hotel Committee wishes you a happy holiday season, and to those of you flying over the holidays, thank you.

For more information, check out the QRH – Quick Reference Hotels document. This resource answers 99 percent of all hotel, transportation, and layover questions while providing helpful solutions. Suggestion: Download this QRH document to your AA iPad for easy access in the future.

Logbook Beta Released to All Pilots

This is a new message from the APA Information Technology Steering Committee.

After weeks of beta testing, APA IT is excited to share that we have released the Logbook feature to all active members across all domiciles. The data for retirees will be loaded shortly.

When you force close the APA Pilot app (or reboot your phone) and then reopen, the Logbook Beta icon will appear on your APA Pilot dashboard. If you do not see the icon on your dashboard, please select the Dashboard icon (9 dots) located in the top left, then select the edit pencil. From there, you can find it in the list and drag/drop it to appear on your dashboard.

Please take note of the following important details:

  • Your logbook will be blank initially.
  • You will receive a mobile inbox notification when your individual data is ready for access.
  • Data is still loading; current as of Dec. 4.
  • Aggregate data will fill in as the loading process continues.
  • At the beginning of January, we will bring your December sequences current.
  • We expect to provide daily updates shortly thereafter.

Data accuracy and application stability are our top priorities. While we have made every effort to provide the most comprehensive and accurate information for you, the historical information we have relied upon does have gaps and discrepancies.

Development/data augmentation efforts in progress:

  • Export functionality is high on our priority list.
  • Add/edit/delete Logbook data.
  • Third-party data to fill in any gaps (e.g., nose number).
  • Sort order/filtering.

Sequence History Beta: Today, the new Sequence History feature was released to all members for beta testing. With this product, you will be able to view the history of any assigned sequence, regardless of whether you flew that sequence. It will also allow you to search for any sequence to view its history.

It is important to note that the number of changes available in the history is being developed, and further enhancements will be provided as the tool undergoes beta testing.

Feedback regarding any changes you would like to see will be greatly appreciated.

Congratulations to Newly Upgraded Captains

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

We would like to recognize and congratulate these pilots who upgraded to captain in November. They are listed by their post-upgrade base and equipment:

DCA 737: Gregory McDermott

DFW 737: Kurt Bachman, Anthony Callahan, William Engle, and John Lawson

LAX 777: Stephan Nalbandian

LAX 320: Thomas Collins

LGA 737: Jason Isreal

MIA 737: Sven Bertelsen, Christopher Buckler, Ramon Del Valle Collazo, Sonny Fong, Alberto Jimenez Molina, Norton Kripka, Michael McClay, Gabriel Molina, Manuel Perales, Scott Peterson, Noel Peyton, and Bradford Soones

MIA 320: Seng Chien

PHL 320: Matthew Munzell and Michael Szczypinski

PHX 737: Thomas Gottfredsen, Garrett Hodges, Austen Mersereau, Andrew Olson, Matthew Ramage, Daniela Ruiz Miranda, and Michael Weatherley

APA Welcomes Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

a group of pilots in a lobby

On Dec. 11, the APA Membership Committee hosted a casual dinner for the following pilots who were in Fort Worth for American Airlines’ Professionalism, Leadership, and Mentoring class: Richard Bookwalter, Seng Chien, Matthew Munzell, Scott Peterson, and Conward Thompson.

APA Contract Minute – Schedule Changes

In the latest APA Contract Minute, Contract Compliance Committee Chair CA Jason Saxer answers this frequently asked question: “I got an ECS after block-in saying Tracking assigned another segment. I thought my FDP was over. Do I have to fly it?”

Talk to a Pilot With a Shared Medical Experience

Would you like to speak with another pilot with a similar medical condition? Maybe you have questions about flight-deck performance that only another pilot with a similar experience can answer. APA maintains a list of pilots who are willing to share their experiences dealing with a variety of diagnoses. To review the list, click the Shared Medical Experiences tab at the top of the Medical Advisors page on AlliedPilots.org.

APA Medical Minute – Bell’s Palsy

In the latest edition of the APA Medical Minute, APA Medical Advisor Cassie Bien discusses Bell’s Palsy, including its symptoms, causes, treatment, and related FAA requirements.

You can watch previous Medical Minute videos on APA’s YouTube channel.

Domicile Events

a group of pilots in a lobby

Dozens of pilots and guests gathered in Steve and Gail Jones’ hangar for the ORD Holiday Luau on Dec. 6.

Visit AlliedPilots.org/Calendar to RSVP for any of these upcoming domicile events:

Domicile Elections

BOS, LAX, and ORD pilots will elect a Chair and Vice Chair to represent each domicile for 42 months – from May 1, 2025, until Oct. 31, 2028.

As of 1200 Central today, these pilots were officially seeking nomination.

  • BOS Chair: CA Lawrence Cutler
  • BOS Vice Chair: CA Thomas Knox
  • LAX Chair: n/a
  • LAX Vice Chair: n/a
  • ORD Chair: CA Wes Smith
  • ORD Vice Chair: FO Paul Meyers

Pilots can submit themselves or others for nomination through Dec. 30. For more information, see the Elections page on AlliedPilots.org.

Are You Willing to Serve?

Each of these national committees or subcommittees has the indicated number of vacancies:

  • Aeromedical Committee (0)
    • Critical Incident Response Program Subcommittee (1)
    • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
    • Human Intervention Motivation Study Subcommittee (1)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
    • Project Wingman Subcommittee (2)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (2)
  • Communications Committee (0)
    • National Communications Network (2)
  • Economic and Financial Analysis Committee (1)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • Information Technology Steering Committee (1)
  • Professional Standards Committee (1)
  • Training Committee (1)
    • Checkmate (1 on 777)

If you would like to serve on one or more of these committees, visit the Member Engagement Portal.

Week in Review

Here are some recent messages you may have missed.

Professional Standards FAQs

What is the process for handling issues that occur repeatedly?
As human beings, it is expected that behavior changes slowly and, as such, some pilots will always behave as their personality dictates. The Professional Standards process should not be expected to “change” a personality, but more thought of as an opportunity to share how a certain behavior affects peers and colleagues. There will also be the possibility of an employee exhibiting the same behavior because they have yet to be informed there is a different expectation. If an issue has been referred to a committee member, and an employee exhibits the same issue, please be patient and give the committee the opportunity to re-address the issue. As a submitter, if you are concerned, you have the option of updating the committee volunteer on observed progress. If at any time you are concerned with the time needed to process any submission, contact any national deputy or your elected Domicile Officer for resolution.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

Professional Standards’ 24/7 hotline: 817-402-2181

Clothing Drive at APA Headquarters

Generous APA employees and pilot volunteers participated in a clothing drive that culminated in the following donations:

  • 52 men’s coats
  • 58 women’s coats
  • 156 pairs of men’s socks
  • 68 pairs of women’s socks

These items were delivered to the OurCalling shelter in Dallas on Thursday.

Sharing the Holiday Spirit with Christmas Epaulets

This popular, long-running program benefits the families of our nation’s fallen heroes and young people seeking ways to further their education, as detailed in a December 2023 Aero Crew News article by CA Tim Knutson and Episode 32 of our Positive Rate podcast.

CA John Knutson – U.S. Army veteran and a pilot for North Central, Republic, and Northwest Airlines – lost his battle with cancer in 1997 at age 56. To honor his memory, John’s widow, Mary, decided to start making Christmas epaulets. Mary originally directed all proceeds to the Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Scholarship Foundation, because John was a 1959 graduate of Chetek High School. In an acknowledgement of John’s love of country, the proceeds have been shared between the Gary Sinise Foundation/Snowball Express and the Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Scholarship Foundation in recent years.

You may buy your epaulets here for $20 plus $5.50 for shipping and handling. They’re also available at Crew Outfitters stores at DFW and IAH. If you have any questions, please contact CA Tim Knutson via info@christmasepaulets.com.

Thank you for supporting this worthy cause.

If You’re 50, Join The Grey Eagles

Are you a pilot for American Airlines, at least age 50, active or retired? Please join The Grey Eagles for food, fun, and fellowship. We offer cruises, conventions, monthly luncheons, retirement dinners, professional mentoring, and assistance to surviving spouses – all for a one-time lifetime fee.

Pilot Job Fairs and Future Pilot Seminars

The Future & Active Pilot Alliance’s next Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar are scheduled for Jan. 17 at MCO followed by Feb. 21 at DFW. Click here for more information.

Industry News

For more about what’s happening in the industry, be sure to visit the Industry News page on AlliedPilots.org.

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