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News from ALPA International |
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April 11, 2013 |
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Budget Proposal Would Harm U.S. Airlines’ Ability to Compete Globally
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Capt. Lee Moak,
president of the Air
Line Pilots Association,
Int’l, issued the
following statement
underscoring the union’s
staunch opposition to
the administration’s
proposed FY14 federal
budget because it would
compromise aviation
security and harm U.S.
airlines’ ability to
compete globally.
“While we are gratified
to see the
administration’s support
in its federal budget
proposal for modernizing
the national airspace
through NextGen, the Air
Line Pilots Association,
Int’l is seriously
concerned that the
proposed budget
threatens U.S. airlines’
ability to compete in
the global marketplace.”
Read more.
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Proposed FFDO Funding Cuts Threatens Airline Security |
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ALPA president Capt. Lee
Moak yesterday issued
the following statement
expressing adamant
opposition to the budget
cuts to the Federal
Flight Deck Officer (FFDO)
program contained in the
administration’s
proposed FY14 federal
budget.
“It is beyond belief
that, at the same time
the administration’s
budget proposal
recognizes the value of
risk-based aviation
security, it proposes to
eliminate funding for
the Federal Flight Deck
Officer program, a
proven and
cost-effective tool to
enhance risk-based
security across the air
transportation system.”
Read more.
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NTSB Forum Explores Lithium-Ion Batteries in Transportation |
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Capts. Scott Schwartz (FDX, left) and
Sean McDonald (FDX) attend the NTSB Forum. |
In
ALPA’s most recent
action to advance the
union’s long-held
position that lithium
battery shipments by air
should fall under
hazardous materials
regulations that require
special packaging,
handling, and pilot
notification, ALPA
pilots and staff
attended the National
Transportation Safety
Board’s (NTSB) public
forum titled “Lithium
Ion Batteries in
Transportation,” held in
Washington, D.C., this
week.The forum, which
is taking place April 11
and 12, includes
multiple panels
discussing issues such
as the design
development and use of
lithium-ion battery
technology; regulations
and standards for
lithium-ion batteries;
and lithium battery
applications and safety
in transportation.
Read more.
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ALPA-Led Coalition Denounces Abu Dhabi Preclearance Facility |
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ALPA working together
with with Airlines for
America, Airports
Council International,
Consumer Travel
Alliance, the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce, and
the Global Business
Travel Association once
again emphasized our
strong opposition to the
creation of a
preclearance facility in
Abu Dhabi International
Airport. In a letter to
U.S. Department of
Homeland Security
Secretary Janet
Napolitano, the
coalition asked for
assurance that this
proposal will not be
pursued. The coalition
pointed out the
detrimental impact on
our industry this
preclearance facility
will have, stating:
“At a time when U.S.
carriers and airports
are fighting to maintain
our global
competitiveness, the
U.S. government should
not be signing a deal
that benefits a foreign
emirate and its wholly
owned national carrier,
particularly since no
U.S. carrier serves that
emirate. This deal
clearly puts U.S.
airlines and their
employees at a
competitive
disadvantage.”
Read more.
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Third Annual Global Pilots’ Symposium Delivers |
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Pilot labor leaders
from around the world
gathered in Dublin,
Ireland, today to
discuss the aviation
industry’s most pressing
issues, including
strategies and tactics
to best address three
core union fundamentals:
advocacy efforts,
negotiations, and
communications.
“We formulated
solutions at today’s
symposium,” said Capt.
Don Wykoff, president of
the International
Federation of Air Line
Pilots’ Associations.
“We brought a lot of
ideas to the symposium
in the past. But quite
frankly, just bringing
those ideas to the room
isn’t quite enough. This
year, we armed pilots
with the tools and
techniques they need to
advance the piloting
profession.”
Read more.
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ALPA Conducts Accident Investigation Training |
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ALPA’s Accident
Investigation Course
(AI2) was held this week
in Herndon, Va. Thirteen
pilot volunteers from
seven ALPA pilot groups,
as well as
representatives from
Boeing, learned about
U.S., Canadian, and ICAO
accident investigation
procedures.
Members of the
Accident Investigation
Board, as well as ALPA
staff from the
Engineering and Air
Safety, Legal, and
Communications
departments provided the
course instruction. This
curriculum prepares
pilots to serve as ALPA
coordinators or
investigative group
members in an
investigation for a
member pilot group
anywhere in the world.
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Airbus Breaks Ground on Plant in America |
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 Earlier
this week, Airbus broke
ground on a new aircraft
assembly plant in
Mobile, Ala., which will
produce Airbus A320s
and, in time, A320neos.
Airbus officials
estimate that the new
plant will generate
1,000 jobs and millions
of dollars for the U.S.
economy. The first plane
from the facility is
expected to be assembled
and delivered by 2016.
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FAA Shortens Waiting Period after Heart Procedures |
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 The
FAA’s Office of
Aerospace Medicine
announced that most
pilots undergoing
cardiac procedures for
coronary artery disease
are now only required to
wait 3 months following
the procedure before
applying for
reinstatement of their
medical certificates.
These procedures include
angioplasties, stent
placement and
arthrectomies. The
exceptions to this
policy that still
require a 6-month wait
are interventions
involving the left main
coronary artery, valve
replacements, and all
bypass grafts.
Additionally, pilots
having pacemaker
generator changes
without lead replacement
will no longer have to
wait 60 days for medical
certification. The FAA
will formalize these
policies shortly.
Pilots who have had
cardiac procedures
included above since
November 2012 should
contact the ALPA
Aeromedical Office at
303-341-4435 for
guidance on how this
policy change may affect
their case.
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Tax Season Is Upon Us, U.S. AERF Donations Are Deductible |
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As April 15 approaches,
remember that ALPA
Emergency Relief Fund (AERF)
donations are
tax-deductible in the
United States.
AERF is a member
resource intended to
provide for the
immediate needs of
all ALPA
pilots and their
families who fall victim
to widespread disasters.
Funded from
contributions by ALPA
members and staff, AERF
is one of the many
tangible benefits of
belonging to the
Association.
Read an article in
the
April 2013 issue of
Air Line Pilot
magazine about how
AERF met the needs of
dozens of ALPA pilots
detrimentally affected
by last October’s
Hurricane Sandy. To
learn more about the
fund, make a donation,
or request a grant,
visit
www.alpa.org/relieffund.
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Sir Frank Whittle conducted ground tests on April 12, 1937, for the world’s
first jet engine designed specifically to power aircraft. The modern turbojet
engine used in many airplanes is based on the prototype that Whittle developed. Return to top
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Most Recent FastRead Issues |
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Feedback & E-mail Address Changes |
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| Questions or comments on this FastRead? Give us your feedback at
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instructed how to make the necessary changes. If you don’t have access to the
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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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