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News from ALPA International |
January 26, 2012 |
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Moak Meets with Acting FAA Administrator |
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Acting FAA
Administrator
Michael Huerta |
Capt. Lee Moak,
president of the Air
Line Pilots Association,
Int’l, met with Acting
FAA Administrator
Michael Huerta Wednesday
to discuss the recently
released FAA flight and
duty regulations and the
unacceptable exclusion
of cargo airline pilots
from these otherwise
science-based
regulations.
ALPA’s directors of
Government Affairs and
Engineering and Air
Safety accompanied Moak,
who stressed the
Association’s top
priority to include
cargo pilots in the new
regulations and called
on the FAA and DOT to
fulfill their pledge to
push the cargo airlines
to opt into the new
regulations. Moak also
took the opportunity to
share with the acting
administrator the
actions the Association
has taken since the new
rule was announced.
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CAL MEC Hosts CIRP Training |
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The Continental MEC
and ALPA Critical
Incident Response
Program (CIRP) sponsored
recurrent training this
week in Houston for
active CIRP volunteers,
and group and individual
crisis intervention
(GRIN) training for new
CIRP volunteers.
Highlights of the week
included presentation of
the Continental CIRP
Volunteer of the Year
award to Jim Patton
(2011), with formal
recognition and
presentations also for
previous recipients
Terry Adams (2010) and
Eric King (2009).
“I am always
impressed by the CIRP
volunteers who give of
themselves and their
time to help fellow
pilots,” said Capt. Bill
Cheney, CAL MEC CIRP
chairman and ALPA CIRP
vice chairman. “They are
essential to helping
mitigate the
psychological impact of
an incident or accident
and aiding pilots in
normal recovery before
harmful stress reactions
affect job performance,
careers, families, and
health.”
Participants in the
recurrent training
included pilots from
Continental, Air
Wisconsin, American
Airlines, American
Eagle, ExpressJet,
Colgan, and US Airways,
as well as multiple
chief pilots and flight
operations duty managers
from Continental. New
CIRP pilots were in
attendance for the GRIN
training from
Continental, Air
Wisconsin, American
Airlines, American
Eagle, FedEx, NetJets,
PSA, Sun Country, UPS,
and US Airways.
Participants also
included members of
Continental’s HR team.
CIRP provides
pre-incident education
and
post-incident/accident
crisis intervention
services. Peer support
volunteers (PSVs) are
line pilots specifically
trained and certified to
provide support in
critical incident stress
management.
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MAG Pilots Elect New Leaders |
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ALPA pilot leaders at
Mesa Air Group
unanimously elected
officers to spearhead
the union’s efforts. F/O
Marcin Kolodziejczyk was
reelected chairman, F/O
Jez Ingram-Clay was
reelected vice chairman,
and Capt. Darrell Cox
was elected
secretary-treasurer. The
officers’ new two-year
terms will begin in
March 2012.
“Protecting and
advancing the careers of
all Mesa pilots remains
our top priority,” said
Kolodziejczyk of his
reelection to MEC
chairman. “The regional
industry is extremely
volatile and can change
in the blink of an eye.
As companies continue to
compete for business,
they will also be
competing for qualified
professionals due to the
looming pilot shortage.
“Mesa is at a
crossroads. Our pilots
are some of the best in
the industry and are
sought after by other
airlines. If senior
management expects Mesa
to become a viable
airline after having
recently emerged from a
painful bankruptcy
process in which
hundreds of our pilots
were downgraded,
displaced, and/or
furloughed, they need to
recognize pilots for the
sacrifices and
contributions they have
made to this airline.
This starts at the
bargaining table. We
entered contract
negotiations last year
to improve pilots’
working conditions and
will continue to work
proactively to address
their needs, as well as
those of the company.
“We are also
monitoring the industry
closely, and are fully
prepared to tackle any
challenges or take
advantage of any
opportunities that may
arise.”
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Stay connected with your
union, your profession,
and your industry by
reading Air Line
Pilot magazine and
watching monthly
episodes of The
FlightDeck.
Read what Sen. Jay
Rockefeller (D-W.Va.),
chairman of the U.S.
Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science, and
Transportation has to
say about the importance
of long-term, fully
funded FAA
reauthorization on page
7 of the
January/February issue of Air
Line Pilot magazine.
On the 11th
installment
of
The
FlightDeck,
learn how airlines are
using biofuel as an
alternative to regular
kerosene-based jet fuel.
Remember that both Air Line Pilot
and The FlightDeck
can also be accessed
from the members-only
portion of the ALPA
website at
www.alpa.org.
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ALPA Presents at TRB Conference |
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Capt.
Sean Cassidy, ALPA’s
first vice president and
national safety
coordinator, represented
ALPA on Jan. 24 on a
panel at the
Transportation Research
Board (TRB)’s 91st
annual meeting held in
Washington, D.C.
Moderated by
Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical
University’s Homeland
Security Program, the
panel, titled “Aviation
Terrorism and
Intelligence Data
Fusion,” included
subject-matter experts
from industry and
airport law enforcement.
Cassidy’s presentation
addressed policy and
program challenges, and
highlighted ALPA’s
endorsement of a
risk-mitigation approach
to aviation security as
set forth in the
Association’s 2010 white
paper,
Meeting Today’s Aviation
Security Needs: A Call
to Action for a
Trust-Based Security
System.
Cassidy expressed
ALPA’s support for such
threat-based programs as
the Cockpit Access
Security System (CASS),
the Known Crewmember (KCM)
program, the new TSA
“PreCheck” program for
passengers, and other
specialized screening
programs. He was joined
on the panel by Airport
Law Enforcement Agencies
Network (ALEAN)
Executive Director Duane
McGray and Mr. John
Huey, an independent
aviation security
consultant.
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ALPA Participates in FLL Safety Risk Management Panel |
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F/O
Steve Jangelis (DAL),
chairman of ALPA’s
Airport Ground
Environment Group,
participated in an
FAA-led Safety Risk
Management Panel (SRMP)
this week to discuss
safety issues during
expansion of Runway
9R/27L, and construction
of associated taxiways,
at the Ft.
Lauderdale-Hollywood
Int’l Airport (FLL).
Jangelis presented
ALPA’s concerns and
successfully influenced
the group to include
several safety
improvements to FLL’s
airport development
plans, to include:
• Enhanced taxiway
signage, markings, and
red obstacle lights to
assist pilots while
taxiing at night and/or
in low visibility
• Improved access to the
runway for the benefit
of aircraft rescue and
firefighting vehicles
• Inclusion of warnings
about taxi hazards on
airport diagrams and
continuous, timely NOTAM
updates
• Verified taxi routings
and designated flow
patterns to be provided
by ATC throughout
construction
• Protection of airside
security and
construction personnel
access
FAA and Broward
County Aviation
Department personnel
expressed their
appreciation for ALPA’s
involvement and
participation in the
SRMP process. ALPA will
remain actively engaged
during all phases of
construction and provide
updates to the
membership as taxiway,
ramp, and approach
procedure changes occur.
The project is scheduled
to be completed in 2014.
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New FFDO Standard Operating Procedures |
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The
Federal Air Marshal
Service (FAMS) Flight
Programs Division (FPD)
advised ALPA and other
Federal Flight Deck
Officer (FFDO)
stakeholders on January
25, 2012, of an
important Standard
Operating Procedure
(SOP) notification
regarding
requalification
compliance standards.
This announcement is
slated to be posted on
the FFDO Dashboard
today. All FFDOs should
log onto the Dashboard
as soon as possible to
familiarize themselves
with this important
information.
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In
recent years, airport
eateries have evolved
from greasy spoons to a
full range of dining
options. Sushi, gourmet
pizzas, steaks—you name
it. Bloggers tout
personal favorites, but
we want to hear from
you, the ultimate “road
warriors.”
From your extensive
travel experience, tell
us what your favorite
airport restaurants are
and why? Send us an
e-mail to
Communications@alpa.org
and please include your
name, status, and member
airline. If you feel
strongly enough, send us
a photo of the
establishment(s).
With a reasonable
response, we will
present the group’s
preferences and possibly
some choice comments in
an upcoming issue of
Air Line Pilot
magazine. Don’t be shy.
Tell us what’s on your
menu.
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Aviation Week Discounts for ALPA Members |
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Here’s
some great news—as an ALPA member, you can now subscribe to the digital-only
edition of Aviation Week for just $39! That price includes free apps for
your iPhone, iPad, or Android.
Click here for details.
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To keep current on the ever-changing wants and needs of our membership, the ALPA
National Retirement and Insurance Committee together with the Association’s
Member Insurance Department are asking for your participation in a brief but
very important survey to assess the insurance products ALPA offers ALPA members.
Please answer these 30 brief questions and help us help you.
Click here to take the survey.
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• The Wall Street Journal says airlines recently posted strong results.
Read more.
• According to Discovery News, airlines recently diverted several aircraft due
to solar storms.
Read more.
• The Washington Times reports that airlines are reducing their carbon
footprints to save money.
Read more.
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Want to know how the U.S. airline industry is fairing? Check out the latest data
from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation
Statistics. Visit www.bts.gov for the latest on
airfares, revenue passenger miles, airline fuel cost and consumption, and other
interesting details.
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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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