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News from ALPA International |
December 10, 2010—In This Issue:
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This Week’s Press Releases |
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Air Transport International Crewmembers Reach
Tentative Contract Agreement with Management
After six years in contract negotiations, ATI
cockpit crewmembers welcome the opportunity to vote
on a tentative agreement in principle which, if
ratified by members, will result in a new contract.
Read more.
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ALPA (Still) Supports Pilot Training, Qualification Provisions of H.R. 5900 |
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Misleading information was published this week in
the Thursday edition of USA Today regarding
ALPA’s position on pilot training and
qualifications. ALPA is still not at liberty to
divulge the contents of the FAA’s Aviation
Rulemaking Committee (ARC) that addressed this
subject, but it continues to support the provisions
of H.R. 5900, which contains the legislative
language used by the FAA as the basis for its
deliberations with industry. The FAA is working to
turn the ARC’s recommendations into a Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking and it is on track to be
published early next year.
ALPA’s September 2009 white paper
“Producing a Professional Airline Pilot”
describes the complexity of this issue. We concur
with the recent statement by the Flight Safety
Foundation that the public deserves “a more
sophisticated solution than a blanket move to 1,500
hours.”
The following is the content of a Nov. 4, 2010,
FastRead on this subject, which still
accurately represents ALPA’s views:
This subject was
considered at length by the FAA’s First Officer
Qualifications Aviation Rulemaking Committee (FOQ
ARC). Members of ALPA’s Air Safety Committee with
expertise in pilot training, plus the director of
ALPA’s Engineering & Air Safety department, served
on the FOQ ARC earlier this year. As an ARC member,
ALPA is prohibited from making public comments on
the committee’s recommendations until the FAA
publishes its final report. Therefore, ALPA is not
yet authorized to specifically comment on the
content of the media reports. However, we can
explain some of the history behind the ARC and point
to reference documents that clarify ALPA’s position
on this important subject.
Read more.
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ExpressJet MEC Holds Security Conference on Mexico |
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In response to security concerns about escalating
violence in Mexico due to cartel activity and
organized crime, the XJT MEC organized a one-day
conference to examine the issues. Presenters at the
conference included conference organizer and XJT MEC
vice chairman Capt. Chris Malo; Justin Lamb,
regional coordinator for the western hemisphere with
the U.S. Department of State’s Overseas Security
Advisory Council (OSAC) and regional security
officer in Mexico City; Timothy G. Haley, special
agent with the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic
Security Service; Michael A. Murphy, special agent
with the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic
Security Service and regional security officer in
Monterrey; and Robert B. Loosle, certified FBI
intelligence officer and legal attaché in Mexico.
Attendees included pilots from ALPA carriers ASA,
Alaska, American Eagle, Colgan, Continental, Delta,
ExpressJet, and Pinnacle; as well as participants from
SkyWest, US Airways, and Republic; employees from
leading oil and gas companies; and attendees from
the hotel/hospitality industry.
“With our own crews and operations at ExpressJet, we
see a real need to expand our efforts on security,
particularly for crews traveling to or within
Mexico,” said Capt. Malo. “From talking with many of
my counterparts at other airlines and in private
industry, I found we all had similar concerns. By
hosting this conference, my hope was to provide
insight into the threats that exist within and near
the border of our nearby neighbor, Mexico, as well
as to highlight sources of pertinent and actionable
intelligence, which we can all use to help safeguard
our employees and company resources.”
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ALPA Seeks Relief from Mexican Rules on LAGs |
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New
regulations impacting permissible quantities of
liquids, aerosols, and gels (LAGs) in carry-on
luggage have been announced by Mexico’s Civil
Aviation Directorate (DGAC). The rules, which apply
to crewmembers and passengers traveling on domestic
and international flights, are currently being
phased in at Mexican airports to meet a Dec. 31,
2010, deadline.
ALPA’s National Security Committee has issued
Security Alert 2010-05, which provides more
details on this development and offers
recommendations. The Association is seeking
immediate relief for crewmembers from these LAGs
restrictions and is urging the Mexican government to
implement checkpoint screening protocols regulating
the carriage of LAGs that mirror those in effect for
crewmembers in the U.S. and Canada.
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Alaska Airlines earlier this month mailed recall
letters to 12 pilots. These 12 recalls are in
addition to the 36 pilots who previously received
recall notices and either had returned to active
service or had scheduled training class dates.
Between January and October 2009, Alaska Airlines
furloughed 106 pilots. Earlier this spring, 12
pilots were recalled, and in October, Alaska
Airlines began training recalled pilots at a rate of
6 per month, for a total of 24 additional pilots
expected to return by January 3. The dozen pilots
who received recall notices this month will be
Anchorage-based upon the completion of their
training, with class dates scheduled to begin
January 31 and March 2; with their return, a total
of 48 involuntarily furloughed pilots will be back
to active service by next spring.
“We are pleased that Alaska management decided to
fill all 12 vacancies created by our most recent bid
through the recall of furloughed pilots. This MEC
has a strong commitment to our furloughed pilots,
and we will continue to advocate for them until each
has been offered the opportunity to come back,” said
Alaska MEC chairman F/O Paul Stuart.
Additionally, three previously furloughed pilots
who returned in October have volunteered to
coordinate the Furloughed Pilots Christmas Fund. The
fund last December collected nearly $25,000, which
was divided evenly among Alaska pilots who were
involuntarily furloughed.
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Read the Latest Aeromedical Flyer |
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Maintaining
your personal fitness will enhance your immune
response as you face the onset of the cold and flu
season and the potential for exposure to diseases
that are uncommon in the United States and Canada.
The latest
Aeromedical Flyer provides two important
articles for all pilots. The Aviation Medicine
Advisory Service provides information and guidelines
for all levels of fitness while the Spirit MEC
provides background information on cholera, as well
as recommendations for traveling to destinations
with recent outbreaks.
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Member Benefits on ALPA Website |
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Being
an ALPA member has its privileges. The Members-Only
section of the ALPA website outlines some of the
advantages offered exclusively to ALPA pilots and
their families. Log onto
www.alpa.org,
click on the “Member Benefits” tab, and access the
following Association web pages:
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“Aeromedical”
contains important and useful information
related to your health and medical
certification.
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“Furloughed Pilots”
provides you with special ALPA/FltOps membership
information, job information and postings,
available resources, and valuable contacts as
you work your way back to an ALPA cockpit.
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A Charles Schwab link
connects you to a team of professionals who
provide specialized financial services and
guidance to airline pilots and their families.
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“Insurance Programs”
contains a variety of outstanding and
specialized disability and life insurance plans
for ALPA pilots.
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“ALPA Union
Leadership Liability Insurance Info” provides
coverage information for LEC and MEC officers.
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“ALPA Shopping Mall”
lists several great products available at
special prices just for ALPA members.
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“ALPA Federal Credit
Union” links you to a solid not-for-profit,
member-owned financial institution serving
airline pilots and their immediate family
members.
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Two Offers from Union Plus |
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This
year, stretch your holiday budget and get special
discounts and deals from Union Plus exclusively for
your union family. From flowers, movies, laptops, to
wireless phones—save hundreds on gifts for the
entire family! Go to
www.UnionPlus.org/HolidaySavings for more
information. With over $3 million in scholarship
money awarded, the Union Plus Scholarship has helped
union members and their children achieve their
dreams for over 15 years. Apply today—the deadline
is Jan. 31, 2011. Go to
www.UnionPlus.org/Scholarships for more
information.
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On Dec. 17, 1903, Orville Wright made the first sustained, controlled, powered
flight from Kill Devil Hills, N.C. This historic trip lasted 12 seconds and
covered approximately 120 feet.
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Feedback & E-mail Address Changes |
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Questions or comments on this FastRead? Give us your feedback at
communications@alpa.org. If you have moved or changed your ISP or e-mail
address, please update your ALPA records. If you don’t, you
will no longer receive the ALPA FastRead and other e-mail bulletins and notices,
and once your postal forwarding order expires, you’ll no longer receive the
magazine and other ALPA mail. You can do it yourself by going to
www.alpa.org and logging
in. Go to “My ALPA” in the menu at the top of the page, and from there, you’ll be
instructed how to make the necessary changes. If you don’t have access to the
members-only section of
www.alpa.org, you can
e-mail your requests by sending them to
membership@alpa.org. Be sure to include your member number or enough other
information so that we can identify you in the membership database, and tell us
what information needs to be updated. Please note that it is not sufficient
just to notify your LEC or MEC of these changes—you should register them with
the ALPA Membership Department in Herndon. Can’t remember your member number
or how to log in? Need information about your ALPA insurance programs? These and
other questions about ALPA services can be answered by contacting
membership@alpa.org. Return to top
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Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l 1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW
| Washington, DC 20036 | 703-689-2270 |
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