APA News Digest

Dec. 20, 2024

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In This Edition ...

A Conversation with APA President FO Nick Silva

Earlier this week, APA Communications Committee Chair CA Andrea Hoover sat down with APA President FO Nick Silva to discuss his first several weeks in office. You can watch a video of their conversation.

Among the topics they discussed: FO Silva’s commitment to strengthening the lines of communication with the company and other key stakeholders, the role of the National Communications Network in helping APA’s negotiating team prepare for the next round of Section 6 bargaining, and the importance of membership feedback.

One of FO Silva’s primary goals as APA President is ensuring our pilots are aware of the many resources that are available to them as APA members. “There is absolutely nothing that can happen in a pilot’s life, personally or professionally, that APA can’t at least point you in the right direction,” he said.

This Flight Was a Family Affair

two smiling pilots outside a cockpit

CA George Schneider has been an American Airlines pilot since the TWA merger. His son, FO Christopher Schneider, was hired by American in February of 2023.

Last month, FO Schneider was scheduled for his first flight off IOE on the A320 – the same equipment his dad flies. That gave CA Schneider an idea. He contacted the first officer assigned to work with him on Flight 1948 from DFW to SAN and convinced him to participate in a pilot-to-pilot trade.

That allowed father and son to share this important flight, and the pilots weren’t the only members of their family on the aircraft. CA Schneider’s wife, Shelley, and FO Schneider’s wife, Natalie, were among the passengers.

two smiling pilots with their wives plus three flight attendants

Film Documents Boeing’s Trove of Troubles

The Financial Times recently published a short film called “Can Boeing Be Trusted?” It examines everything from the two 737 MAX crashes to the Alaska door-plug incident to the manufacturer’s response to whistleblowers. The film features interviews with former U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, who once chaired the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and APA spokesman CA Dennis Tajer, who took the journalists into a simulator to demonstrate the fatal flaws with the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) on the MAX.

Hotel Debrief vs. Hotel Survey

This is a new message from the APA Hotel Committee.

A Hotel Debrief is an important mechanism for crews to communicate systemic and particularly egregious layover issues (hotel or transportation) that need to be addressed with the company or the third-party vendor in a timely manner. Hotel Debriefs are monitored daily by the Hotel Committee.

The Hotel Survey, which automatically pops up on the APA Pilot app after a layover, is used to track trends, both good and bad. Issues that don’t need to be addressed immediately are best tracked in the survey versus a debrief. Room wait times, transportation wait times, climate control issues, and lack of food options are all examples of issues that are best communicated through the survey. The survey is quicker to fill out than a debrief and helps us to track trends. We can identify problems clearly with the survey, and it allows us to appropriately address them with American. An issue in a debrief is often seen by the hotel or the company as a “one off” (and often that is the case), but the survey gives us data necessary to identify an actual trend that needs to be addressed. Save yourself some time and capture this information in the survey, which takes just a minute or two to fill out. There is no need to duplicate with the debrief unless it is an egregious issue that leads to a fatigue call, forces you to secure your own transportation or hotel room, or causes a late departure.

We are also happy to send a positive Hotel Debrief to the company if you have a particularly great stay.

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.

AA Widebody “W” Seating Options

This is a new message from the APA Jumpseat/Non-Rev Committee.

We have noticed an uptick in questions about the availability and usage of jumpseats and designated rest areas on widebody aircraft. The FOM addresses jumpseat priority and usage in 3s.6 and crew rest facility limitations in 7G.2.2. 

Note: There are special rules for flights in and out of the United Kingdom (UK), essentially restricting a pilot who is not working crew from occupying a Flight Deck Jumpseat. The following information is for flights operating outside of the UK.

“W” boarding pass holders:

  • Flight deck jumpseats may be occupied by pilots with FDJ AA and FDJ EAG on all AA flights, and by any CASS-approved OAL pilot on domestic flights, including Alaska and Hawaii.
  • OFCR seat (787 8AA-8LY only) and designated crew rest seat (usually 1A) may be occupied during all phases of flight, if approved by the Captain.
  • At crew discretion (Captain should coordinate to ensure entire operating crew is in agreement), available Class 1 rest facility bunks may be offered to any pilot holding a “W” pass (FDJ AA, FDJ EAG & D6).

As always, the Captain has the sole authority to determine who will occupy a flight deck jumpseat or designated crew rest seat.

Please direct any question – on this topic or any other topics related to jumpseat, deadhead, or non-rev travel – to one of the members of our committee by email, text, or a phone call. If you encounter issues, file a Jumpseat/Deadhead/Non-Rev Debrief.

Unions Ask FAA to Delay Policy Change

This is a new message from the APA Government Affairs Committee.

Dr. Susan E. Northrup is the Federal Air Surgeon. In this capacity, she leads the FAA’s Office of Aerospace Medicine.

Last week, APA and several other aviation unions and organizations – including ALPA and SWAPA – sent Dr. Northrup a letter asking her office to reconsider a policy change regarding the processing of medical certificates that is set to take effect in 2025. As of Jan. 1, if the FAA needs additional information to make a decision on a particular application, the FAA will deny that application rather than requesting more information following a deferral.

“The FAA’s use of denials, in lieu of the currently used deferral, as a routine part of the medical application process will significantly increase unneeded confusion for applicants and introduce unintended consequences for those under initial denial,” the letter says.

The letter, which you can read here, concludes with a request to delay this policy change.

APA Welcomes Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

a group of pilots in a lobby

On Dec. 18, 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: Kurt Bachman, Carl Hadra, William McCord, Michelle Monteilh, Valerie Parks, Jeremy Ross, and Michael Szczypinski.

APA Medical Minute – In-Flight Medical Emergencies

In the latest edition of the APA Medical Minute, APA Medical Advisors Manager Marsha Reekie discusses what to do when a pilot experiences an in-flight medical emergency that necessitates a diversion or paramedic assistance upon landing.

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

Domicile Events

a group of smiling couples at a circular table

About 220 pilots and guests gathered at the Ballantyne Hotel on Dec. 15 for the CLT Domicile Holiday Party.

Our BOS, CLT, and MIA domiciles all hosted holiday parties recently. You can see more photos of these events on our Facebook and Instagram accounts.

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

Domicile Elections

BOS, LAX, and ORD pilots will elect a Chair and Vice Chair to represent each domicile from May 1, 2025, until April 30, 2028. Please note this term is corrected from a prior communication indicating that the term would be 42 months. In accordance with the Constitution & Bylaws, the term of office for Domicile Officers is 36 months.

As of 1500 Central today, these pilots were officially seeking nomination.

  • BOS Chair: CA Lawrence Cutler
  • BOS Vice Chair: CA Thomas Knox
  • LAX Chair: FO William Brynjolfsson
  • LAX Vice Chair: CA Mark Ackerman and FO Cort Keithley
  • ORD Chair: CA Wes Smith
  • ORD Vice Chair: FO Paul Meyers

Pilots can submit themselves or others for nomination through 0001 Central on Dec. 30. For more information, see the Elections page on AlliedPilots.org.

Presidential Constitutional Interpretation

The APA Constitution and Bylaws (C&B) gives the APA President the exclusive authority to enforce the C&B and issue written interpretations. On Dec. 16, APA President FO Nick Silva issued an interpretation regarding the scope and meaning of Article IX.1 of the C&B, which concerns eligibility for nomination and election to Domicile or National Office.

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 & Financial Analysis Committee (1)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • Information Technology Steering Committee (1)
  • Professional Standards Committee (1)
  • Retirement & Benefits Committee (1)*
  • Training Committee (1)
    • Checkmate (1 on 777)

* Seeking volunteer with financial services experience and possible AIF®, CFP®, or related designations.

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

Do committee volunteers receive any kind of training?
New committee volunteers receive an extensive two-day training course that includes more than 16 hours of classroom instruction. The training includes modules such as Conflict Resolution, Mediation, Mentoring, Pilot Personality, Generational Issues Affecting Cockpit Performance, Resources, and Communication Skills. Committee members also receive instruction on the Professional Standards process, the APA Policy Manual, and the importance of confidentiality. These concepts are reinforced through multiple role-play scenarios.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

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

APA Holiday Schedule

APA headquarters, including Contract Administration, will be closed between 1500 Central on Tuesday, Dec. 24, and 0700 Central on Thursday, Dec. 26, in observance of Christmas.

As always, your APA support team remains available 24/7. When Contract Administration is closed, calls will be forwarded to a phone service operated by Contract Compliance Committee and Flight Time/Duty Time Committee volunteers. Please note that call-back times may be longer than normal due to limited staffing. If your call is not urgent, we encourage you to wait until normal business hours resume.

You may also want to consult the pilot volunteers on your domicile’s Contract Compliance Committee. Almost every domicile has one, and some of them have larger rosters than the national committee. Contact your local committee by visiting your domicile’s page on AlliedPilots.org and clicking the “Domicile Committee List” link.

To reach a contract administrator, call APA HQ at 1-800-323-1470 and press Option 3. If you prefer to e-mail your question to the contract administrators, click here. For specific FAR 117/fatigue issues requiring immediate attention, you can also call the Emergency Help Line at 682-738-6670 manned 24/7 by Flight Time/Duty Time Committee volunteers.

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.

Happy Holidays From the APA Staff

a collage of smiling faces

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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