APA Public Email Address
  817-302-2272
Menu

About APA

About APA
Contact: 817-302-2272
Hours: M-F, 8am - 5pm Central
Address: 14600 Trinity Blvd, Suite 500
Fort Worth, TX 76155

Allied Pilots Association



Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, near Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the Allied Pilots Association (APA) serves as the certified collective bargaining agent for the 15,000 professional pilots who fly for American Airlines.

APA was founded in 1963 and is the largest independent pilots’ union in the world. APA provides a broad range of representation services for its members and devotes more than 20 percent of its dues income to support aviation safety.

The Allied Pilots Association in Washington, D.C.

The APA leadership understands that the direction of the airline pilot profession is determined in large measure by policymakers in Washington, D.C. The APA Government Affairs Committee is entrusted with serving as the voice of APA pilots in our nation's capital.

APA’s positions on important aviation safety- and security-related issues are based on the pilot's perspective as a subject-matter expert. All APA Government Affairs Committee members are current line-flying pilots for American Airlines with thousands of hours of experience in large civilian transport and high-performance military aircraft.

APA’s legislative success can be partially attributed to the strength of the union’s Political Action Committee (PAC) fund. The APA PAC is used solely for congressional campaigns and does not fund any other APA expenses or salaries.

APA is also a member of the Washington, D.C.-based Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations, which includes approximately 28,000 professional pilots who work for a variety of passenger and cargo carriers.

APA’s Principal Legislative Interests:

  • Strengthen the profession to attract and retain the most highly experienced pilots possible.
  • Promote and support regulatory policies that enhance aviation safety and security.
  • Enhance pilot qualifications and training.
  • Minimize the impact of Chapter 11 reorganization on the career expectations of our pilots.
  • Encourage technical corrections and program improvements to the Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) Program.
  • Promote reform of the federal aviation regulations on flight and duty time to reduce the risk of flight crew fatigue. Duty day, daily flight hours, ultra long-range flying and international reserve rest are all of concern.

APA History: The First 25 Years

By CA Dick Lyons

The Beginning The Details and Documentation 25 Years of Success About the Author

CA Lyons was one of APA’s founders.

APA Leadership

APA President

Captain Ed Sicher has flown for American Airlines since 1998, and he has been based at MIA, LGA, and ORD over the course of his career. Before being elected President in 2022, he represented the pilots of MIA as their Domicile Vice Chair (2015-2018) and Domicile Chair (2021-2022).

Prior to being hired by American, Captain Sicher served in the U.S Air Force, where he piloted the McDonnell Douglas F-4 “Phantom” and the Fairchild Republic A-10 “Warthog.” He also served as an acquisition officer and hardware engineer for U.S. Space and Missile System Center in Los Angeles, and the Military Liaison Officer for the U.S. Consulate in Curacao. He retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel having earned an Air Medal for Combat. At American, he has served as a Flight Engineer on the Boeing 727, has flown the Boeing 757 and 767, and is currently a Captain on the Boeing 737.

Born in Roseland on the south side of Chicago, Captain Sicher graduated from Marist High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Chicago’s Illinois Institute of Technology, where he was a Lincoln State Scholar and his university’s Rhodes Scholar nominee. He was also President of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity before being commissioned into the Air Force. He also studied human resources and labor relations, earning a master’s degree from Chapman University.

Captain Sicher was also a small business owner and extensively involved in community service, receiving the YMCA’s Broward County Volunteer of the Year award after running Fort Lauderdale’s Soap Box Derby Race. He resides in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with his wife and youngest child.


APA Vice President

Captain Chris Torres was hired by American Airlines in 2016. Before being elected Vice President in 2022, he represented the pilots of DFW as their Domicile Vice Chair (2020-2022).

As a member of the APA Contract Compliance Committee, First Officer Torres designed a series of courses to educate his union brothers and sisters on the finer points of their contract. He also volunteered as a mentor with the APA Compass Project, sponsoring newly hired pilots and helping them navigate life at American.

As a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he flew the Northrop T-38 and the McDonnell Douglas F-15E before retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. First Officer Torres has piloted the Boeing 737 since joining American.

A native of Santa Cruz, Calif., First Officer Torres graduated from Santa Clara University in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He also earned a master’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He and his family reside in Trophy Club, Texas.


APA Secretary-Treasurer

First Officer Patrick Clark was hired by American Airlines in 1991. He has piloted the Boeing 787 on international routes, and he has logged domestic time on the Boeing 727, the Boeing 737, and the McDonnell Douglas DC-9. Prior to joining American, he was a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Marine Corps.

First Officer Clark's years of APA experience include terms as deputy chairman of the Operational Analysis Committee and former Technical Analysis and Scheduling Committee. Much of the analysis performed by these committees is made possible by technology that First Officer Clark created. He was elected Secretary-Treasurer in 2019 and re-elected in 2022.

First Officer Clark is a graduate of the University of San Francisco. He is based at DFW and resides in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with his wife.