APA News Digest

May 3, 2024

Editor’s note: Some links in this message will work best if you log in to AlliedPilots.org before clicking them.

In This Edition ...

• Unionism Isn’t a Spectator Sport
• Compass Project Committee: Join Us for YOUnion 301 or YOUnion 401
• Contract Compliance Committee: APA Contract Minute – Penalties for Scheduling or Reassigning a Reserve Pilot into a Non-Golden DFP
• Professional Standards Committee: Baggage Policies on 737
• Project Wingman Subcommittee: May is Mental Health Awareness Month
• Hotel Committee: Do Not Trust Hotels Listed on PBS Bid Packages
• STOP Committee: APFA to Conduct Systemwide Picketing on May 9
• Maintenance and Technical Analysis Committee: Pigs of the Week
• Membership Committee: APA Welcomes New Pilots
• Membership Committee: APA Welcomes Captains’ Leadership Class
• Membership Committee: Retirements in January and February
• Domicile Events
• Week in Review
• Are You Willing to Serve?
• Professional Standards FAQ
• Free PGA Tour Tickets for Military Personnel
• If You’re 50, Join The Grey Eagles
• Pilot Job Fairs and Future Pilot Seminars

Unionism Isn’t a Spectator Sport

Congratulations to CA Brian Smith and FO Jason Gustin, who prevailed in the Runoff Round of the DFW Domicile Election that concluded on Tuesday. Their respective two-year terms as DFW Domicile Chair and DFW Domicile Vice Chair began on Wednesday, as did the terms of DCA Domicile Chair CA Chris Wachter and DCA Domicile Vice Chair CA Tom Lawler.

We would also like to thank the other candidates in those domicile elections – CA Drew Coleman, CA Tim Doreen Jr., FO Julio Gomez, FO Brandon Lightly, CA Steven Pacheco, and CA Jon Sherrell – for their willingness to serve the membership. APA cannot function without willing volunteers, whether those volunteers are elected or appointed.

CA Lawrence Cutler, FO Ryan Babcock, CA Paul McFarland, and CA Gemma Meehan talked to pilots at BOS on Thursday.

Several volunteers from APA’s National Communications Network were at BOS and ORD this week for Concourse Conversations. Those volunteers have our gratitude, as do all of the pilots who took the time to share their views on our union, our airline, and our industry. Similarly, we would like to thank all of the ORD pilots who attended their in-person domicile meeting on Wednesday, when they heard remarks from APA President CA Ed Sicher. Be sure to check AlliedPilots.org/Calendar regularly for similar opportunities for engagement.

APA President CA Ed Sicher spoke at the ORD domicile meeting on Wednesday.

Speaking of engagement, less than 24 hours after the DFW election wrapped up, another voting window opened. The APA Board of Directors approved two resolutions during its spring meeting that would amend recall procedures for National and Domicile Officers. These amendments to the APA Constitution and Bylaws are subject to membership approval via a referendum ballot.

The voting window will be open until 1200 Central on May 15. Click here to vote.

Join Us for YOUnion 301 or YOUnion 401

This is a new message from the APA Compass Project Committee.

The Compass Project and APA Vice President CA Chris Torres will host a “YOUnion 301” meeting via Zoom at 1100 Central on May 8. This “Captains’ Development Seminar” is intended to help new captains and soon-to-be captains understand their authorities, APA support, and safety trends within our airline.

Click here to register for the May 8 meeting.

The Compass Project will also host a “YOUnion 401” meeting via Zoom at 1100 Central on May 22. This “APA Retirement Summary” is intended to help pilots who are within 15 years of retirement understand their APA benefits. Please note: This session will not encompass AA-specific programs.

Click here to register for the May 22 meeting.

APA Contract Minute – Penalties for Scheduling or Reassigning a Reserve Pilot into a Non-Golden DFP

This is a new message from the APA Contract Compliance Committee.

CA Jason Saxer is back with another edition of the APA Contract Minute. This time around, CA Saxer details the penalties the company incurs for scheduling or reassigning a Reserve pilot into a non-golden duty-free period.

Baggage Policies on 737

The APA Professional Standards Committee sent this message to all 737 pilots in December. Due to an uptick in reports, a rerun was requested.

Your Professional Standards Committee has observed an uptick in disputes regarding the storage of crewmembers’ bags on the 737.

Our Flight Operations Manual clearly authorizes pilots to put their bags in the front closet UNLESS a wheelchair needs to be stored there.

The flight attendants’ Inflight Manual says they can stow their bags in any overhead bin as long as the bin is not above Main Class Extra seats.

You may want to download those two images to your iPad so you can reference them if this issue comes up during one of your flights.

If that doesn’t settle things, please give us a call: 817-402-2181.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

This is a new message from the APA Project Wingman Subcommittee.

Click the image for a closer look.

The month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Project Wingman volunteers are hard at work attending recurrent training workshops throughout this year. During the pictured class in April, and the next classes in ensuing months, volunteers are reviewing how best to provide support when fellow pilots call our Wingman hotline (848-APA-CREW #1, or 817-823-7965).

If you or a member of your family are in a life crisis, never hesitate to give us a call and talk to a fellow pilot. Likewise, if you see a fellow pilot wearing a Project Wingman lanyard, don’t hesitate to strike up a conversation. We are here 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to listen and support you through the many challenges that life throws at us.

Do Not Trust Hotels Listed on PBS Bid Packages

This is an updated message from the APA Hotel Committee.

PBS bid packages will be released in a couple of days for the month of June; however, the company will be working on June hotel allocations well into mid-May. Because the PBS bid packages are built and released prior to hotel allocations being complete for the upcoming month, the hotel listed on the bid package may not be the allocated hotel for that sequence.

Any layover with an ODL of 17 hours or more should be placed at a long hotel in accordance with the CBA. Layovers that are 13 hours or fewer should be at a short property. There is flexibility between 13 and 17 hours, so placement can vary by market. We recommend that you do not bid for a trip based solely on the hotel listed on the bid package.

For more information, check out the recently updated 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.

APFA to Conduct Systemwide Picketing on May 9

This is an updated message from the APA Strike and Tactical Operations Planning Committee.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants will conduct informational picketing at the White House and airports around the system on May 9. If your schedule permits, we encourage you to stand with our airline’s flight attendants in their ongoing efforts to secure a fair contract.

Pigs of the Week

APA commends American Airlines’ hardworking aircraft maintenance technicians for their outstanding work. We believe they are the best in the business. When repetitive problems do arise, they’re often due to managerial decisions that fail to properly prioritize tasks and to management’s decision to outsource a significant portion of the airline’s maintenance to offshore, third-party repair stations.

• Since April 20, B737 aircraft 3BF has been written up nine times for the cabin temperature being uncontrollable. It recently operated under a Special Flight Permit (SFP) to a maintenance base for repairs and remains out of service.

APA Welcomes New Pilots

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

Click the image for a closer look.

The APA Membership Committee welcomed the following pilots during a casual dinner on April 30: Christopher Anzideo, Charles Argumaniz, Quentin Ballot-Lena, Aaron Barthol, Brister Bishop, Jordan Brummett, Cameron Burnett, Brandon Coffman, Craig DeVries, Daniel Drouillard, Fernando Freire, Greir Gardner, Ian Hagen, Ryan Harris, Christopher Henson, Kyle Higginson, Michael Jones, William Kober, Forrest Lampela, Augusto Lise Puglia, Jose Lopez, Jacob Lukens, Darrick McGill, Nathan Miller, Michael Pardillo, Richard Patterson, Nickolas Periman, Leland Quinter, Joseph Schmidt, Justin Siems, Victor Sultan, Philip Taylor, Piotr Tenderenda, Steve Toosi, Jesse Toppen, Christopher Trent, Sean Trulzsch, William Turner, Daniel Valentine, Brian Webb, Joseph Wheeler, and Aaron Wolf.

APA Welcomes Captains’ Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

Click the image for a closer look.

On May 1, 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: Craig Bellanca, Bret Buchanan, Vito Culicchia III, Carlos Flores, Mark Hollandsworth, Emmanuel Karatzas, Rein Lewis, Brandon Lighty, Quincy Newman III, Dariusz Piszczek, Scott Reider, Robert Seeney, Savvas Shimitras, Annette Taylor, Matthew Wright, and George Zeigler.

Retirements in January and February

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

We would like to recognize and congratulate these pilots who retired in January and February.

BOS: CA Harrington Drake, CA Walter Jennings, and CA Keith Pederzani

CLT: CA Perry Brown, CA Nicholas Dudley, CA Douglas English, CA Stanley Garrison, CA Craig Gillespie, CA Michael Kaye, CA DeVere Kiss, CA Michael McCormick, CA Michael Meyersohn, CA Alejandro Munevar, FO Arthur Orteneau, CA Scott Rohwedder, CA Craig Sage, FO Mark Sidlovsky, CA Jerry Slaughter, CA George Venturella, and CA Terrence Wilson

DCA: CA Kevin Williamson

DFW: FO David Albright, CA Julie Barry, CA Tom Battle, CA Andrea Chovanec, CA George Desautels, CA James Dinsmore, CA William Erickson, FO William Featherston, CA Donald Greer Jr., FO Jerome Hager, CA James Hamilton, CA Jeffrey Hansen, CA Mark Hopkins, CA Mark Houston, FO David Huff, CA Stephen Jester, CA Barry Johnson, CA Thomas Jumper, CA Steven Katerinos, CA James Lightfoot, CA Brian Ostrom, CA Michael Pennell, FO Erich Pfanzelt, CA J. Robertson, CA Jeffrey Roetzel, FO Bradley Smith, CA Scott Swenson, CA William Taylor, and CA Mark Watson

LAX: CA David Bauer, CA Richard Brodhead, FO David Carsel, CA Thomas Fanghella, FO James Gilliland, CA George Graham, CA David Gray, CA Peter Griffith, CA Robert Ing, CA Gary Inouye, FO James Kirchhoff, CA Brian Mathews, CA John Nunes, CA Steven Paul, CA Douglas Peterson, FO Wade Robertson, and FO Brian Winfield

LGA: CA Joseph Bazo, CA Jack Berkebile, FO Glenn Brandenburg, CA Thomas Casey, CA Carl Clarke, CA Ronald Fischer, CA Stuart McMillan, FO Dale Mock, CA Jeffrey Mullen, FO Wallace Preitz, CA Richard Sanderson, CA Timothy Schaefer, CA Robert Singer, CA Timmy So, CA John Urry, and FO Robert Wilkinson

MIA: CA John Aldridge, CA Ronald Barnard, CA John Berryhill, FO Michael Bronson, FO J Canizares, FO Wendell Fowler, CA Christopher Gardner, CA Glenn Herron, CA Pete Karkeck, CA Robert Livingston, CA Bernard Neumann, CA Walter Nurnberger, CA Sam Pierson, CA David Ratcliff, CA Michael Rounds, FO Glen Turner, CA Ronald Willkomm, CA Stephen Woodward, CA Anthony Zent

ORD: FO Daniel Akins, FO Dietmar Amelang, CA Barry Black, CA Ed Clay, FO Bradley Collins, CA Richard Hoehl, FO Elaine Meronyk, CA Brian Mourning, CA Robert Paton, CA Michael Perillo, CA John Ricciotti, and CA Edward Zelasko

PHL: CA David Bonner, CA Robert Cowgill, CA Charles Daugherty, CA Patrick Dunleavy, CA Kory Hoeft, CA Kevin Judd, CA Elliotte Lands, CA William Schrock, and CA Gene Sevier

PHX: FO Paul Ferrier III, CA John Fox, CA Russell Hildebrand, and CA Sean Oswald

Domicile Events

Do you know how to check APA’s master calendar for upcoming events and confirm your attendance? This short video provides a tutorial.

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

• DCA: Retirement Party on June 29
• DFW: Pilots For Kids Golf Tournament on May 20; Texas Rangers game on Aug. 6; Retirement Party on Nov. 9
• LAX: Family Awareness lunch in Thousand Oaks on May 8; Family Awareness lunch in Dana Point on May 9; IMAX and TTS Training at the San Diego Yacht Club on May 10; Family Awareness lunch in San Diego on May 14; Family Awareness lunch in Temecula on May 15
• LGA: Refinery Rooftop Social on May 18; New York Mets game on Sept. 2; Retirement Party on Oct. 26
• MIA: Air Dot Show at FLL on May 11 and 12; Retirement Party on Sept. 14
• ORD: Retirement Party on May 4; Galt Airport Fly-In and Pancake Breakfast on May 25
• PHL: Philadelphia Phillies game on June 18; Retirement Party on Oct. 19

Week in Review

Click the image for a closer look.

CA Stephen Landau, FO Stacey Banks, and FO Leslie Sanders of the APA Uniform Committee were on hand when the Uniform Service Center opened at the Flight Academy last year. The Uniform Service Center is one of many topics covered in the committee’s comprehensive All Things Uniform update.

Here are some other recent messages you may have missed.

• Communications Committee: Membership Referendum Voting Window Now Open
• Jumpseat/Non-Rev Committee: FDJ AA Not Appended to Priority List
• Government Affairs Committee: Senate and House Committee Leaders Reach Agreement on FAA Reauthorization
• Press Release: Allied Pilots Association Urges “Timely Approval of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024”
• Safety Committee: Smoke/Odor/Fumes, Engine Runs, and American Airlines Fleet Captain Brief
• Secretary-Treasurer: DFW Runoff Round Results

Are You Willing to Serve?

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

• Aeromedical Committee (1)
  • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
  • Human Intervention Motivation Study Subcommittee (1)
  • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
  • Project Wingman Subcommittee (3)
• Appeal Board (1)
• Captain’s Authority Committee (3)
• Communications Committee (0)
  • National Communications Network (7)
• Flight Time/Duty Time Committee (1)
• Scheduling Committee (6)
• Training Committee (5)
  • Checkmate (1 on 777)

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

Professional Standards FAQs

How does management or an employee submit an issue to Professional Standards?
Committee volunteers are identified for each domicile on AlliedPilots.org and on each domicile’s APA bulletin board. Management is furnished contact information for every domicile and national deputy, and they may approach a committee volunteer with an issue. Emails, texts, and detailed phone messages are to be avoided, as the information is not confidential and may not be protected. Telephone contact and face-to-face meetings are encouraged, as confidentiality is paramount to the success of the program. You can reach your domicile’s Professional Standards Committee via our phone tree: 817-402-2181.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

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

Free PGA Tour Tickets for Military Personnel

The PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge is scheduled for May 23-26 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. All active, reserve, and retired military personnel can get free tickets, a parking pass, and access to a hospitality tent for one day of the tournament. Click here for more information.

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

Future & Active Pilot Advisors’ next Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar are scheduled for May 18 at HNL followed by June 14 at JFK. 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.