APA News Digest

Aug. 11, 2023

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

In This Edition ...

• Negotiating Committee: Get Informed on 2023 TA 2.0 – Attend or Watch a Road Show!
• Family Awareness Committee: APA Families Enjoy Night Out in AUS
• Hotel Committee: Hotel Survey vs. Hotel Debrief
• Contract Compliance Committee: How Are We Paid After FDP Illegality?
• STOP Committee: Other Work Groups Need Our Support
• Sudden Grief Response Program: We Need More Volunteers
• Maintenance and Technical Analysis Committee: Pigs of the Week
• Membership Committee: APA Welcomes New Pilots
• Membership Committee: APA Welcomes Captains’ Leadership Class
• Membership Committee: Congratulations to Newly Upgraded Captains
• APA Represented at OBAP Conference
• Domicile Events
• Domicile Elections
• Week in Review
• Are You Willing to Serve?
• Professional Standards FAQ
• 9/11 Museum Offers Free Admission
• Honoring and Supporting Veterans
• If You’re 50, Join The Grey Eagles
• Pilot Job Fairs and Future Pilot Seminars

Get Informed on 2023 TA 2.0 – Attend or Watch a Road Show!

This is a new message from the APA Negotiating Committee.

Mark Myers, FO Chris Wachter, FO Adam Rutherford, and CA Jason Saxer

Thanks to those of you who attended this week’s road shows. It’s been great for the Negotiating Committee, the Negotiating Department, and APA SMEs to be able to present the areas negotiated in this round of bargaining, and to be able to answer your questions on the 2023 TA 2.0.

The final five opportunities to attend a road show are coming up on Aug. 15, 16, and 17. The presentation was created to help inform your decision, and it’s not too late to RSVP.

Each of those RSVP links will require you to log into AlliedPilots.org first. That way, the website will be able to identify you. Simply click the “Submit” button, and you should see a message that says, “Your RSVP has been submitted.”

Pilots who cannot attend a road show in person have three more opportunities to view one via Zoom. You can register for next week’s Zoom sessions by clicking the links below.

• PHX (0900 MST on Aug. 15)
• LAX (1000 PDT on Aug. 16)
• DFW (0900 CDT on Aug. 17)

And for those who are unavailable on those days, videos of the Aug. 8 road show at CLT have been uploaded within the “Road Shows” space on the Contract 2023 site. That site also features the full language of TA 2.0, an executive summary of TA 2.0, comment letters from the Board of Directors, and Contract Comparisons that highlight differences between TA 2.0, our existing JCBA, the Delta CBA, the United CBA, and the United AIP.

Voting opened at 1200 Central on Aug. 7. In response to members’ questions about the voting procedures, APA Secretary-Treasurer FO Pat Clark published a Ratification Voting Q&A on Aug. 8.

Your vote is important – make your election before voting closes at 1200 Central on Aug. 21.

We look forward to seeing you next week!

APA Families Enjoy Night Out in AUS

This is a new message from the APA Family Awareness Committee.

See more photos from the AUS event on APA’s Facebook page.

The Negotiating Committee isn’t the only national committee that can take their show on the road. Several APA families enjoyed an evening at a Topgolf facility in AUS on Tuesday. If you live in a commuter city and would like to see a similar event near your home, contact the Family Awareness Committee.

Hotel Survey vs. Hotel Debrief

This is a new message from the APA Hotel Committee.

Now that the Hotel Survey on the APA Mobile app is more comprehensive, certain issues are best tracked in the survey as opposed to a Hotel Debrief. Room wait times, transportation wait times, climate control issues, and lack of food options are all examples of issues that are best communicated through the survey. The survey is quicker to fill out than a debrief and helps us to track trends. We can identify problems clearly with the survey, and it allows us to address them with American appropriately. An issue in a debrief is often seen by the hotel or company as a “one off” (and often that is the case), but the survey gives us the necessary data to identify a trend that needs to be addressed.

Save yourself some time and capture this information in the survey, which takes just a minute or two to fill out. There is no need to duplicate with the debrief unless it is egregious enough that it leads to a fatigue call, you are forced to secure your own transportation or hotel room, or it causes a late departure.

For more information, see the QRH – Quick Reference Hotels document, which should answer 99 percent of all hotel and transportation questions while providing helpful solutions. Suggestion: Download this QRH document to your AA iPad for easy access in the future.

How Are We Paid After FDP Illegality?

This is the latest in a series of Q&As from the APA Contract Compliance Committee.

Q: I am a Lineholder who reported for the first day of my sequence and incurred delays on the first flight. Because of those delays, I was no longer able to complete my scheduled flying due to an FDP illegality. The sequence was removed with XR, but how am I paid?

A: Any Misconnect, Illegality, or Cancellation (MIC) creates a Replacement Flying Window (RFW) with Recovery Obligation. A Lineholder, or a Reserve pilot flying on days off (OG/PR), is pay protected for their originally awarded sequence value (Section 4.1.a).

If you reported for duty – an FDP or a scheduled deadhead – and the sequence was subsequently cancelled, a Report Sequence should be generated. This Report Sequence will pay the greater of 5.15 (the 15.G Average Calendar Day RIG) or the time spent on duty (the 15.E Minimum Pay and Credit RIG). The Report Sequence will become part of the Sequence Protection, and its value will be matched against the original sequence value; this will not increase the total protected value. If you are assigned and fly Replacement Flying, the sum of the value of the Report Sequence and the value of the Replacement Flying will be compared to the original sequence value. If that combined value is greater, the higher sum will be paid.

Section 4.C.1.a.
A lineholder pilot or reserve pilot flying on days off whose sequence is cancelled for any reason shall be pay protected for the scheduled value of the sequence at the time of the award or assignment.

Section 15.E.1.b. (E RIG)
One (1) minute flight time pay and flight time credit for each two (2) minutes of the greater of actual, scheduled, or rescheduled duty in the hours of 0600-2159 (HBT) and one (1) minute flight time pay and flight time credit for each one and one-half (1.5) minutes of the greater of actual, scheduled, or rescheduled duty in the hours of 2200-0559 (HBT). Except a duty period which signs in after 2200 and ends after 0359 will receive one (1) minute flight time pay and flight time credit for each one and one-half (1.5) minutes for the entire duty period.

Section 15.G. (G RIG)
1. A pilot who reports for any duty (including deadheading) shall receive a minimum of five hours and fifteen minutes (5:15) flight time pay and flight time credit multiplied by the number of calendar days contained in such pilot’s trip sequence, including days added as a result of a reschedule, reassignment, or delay. Except, to receive this credit on the final calendar day of the sequence, a pilot must have either an actual release after 0159 or have a scheduled release after 0159.

2. A pilot who performs two (2) or more on duty periods broken by at least one (1) off duty period away from such pilot’s base shall receive, for each duty period provided in E.1. above, a minimum of two (2) hours flight time pay and flight time credit.

Other Work Groups Need Our Support

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

The CWA-IBT Association, which represents passenger service agents at American Airlines, plans to conduct informational picketing at eight airports (CLT, DFW, IAH, MIA, ORD, PHL, PHX, and STL) on Aug. 15. If you can stand with your fellow union employees that day, click here for more details.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants plans to conduct informational picketing at our 10 base airports, plus MCO, on Aug. 30. The picket times will be either from 1000 to 1200 or from 1100 to 1300. If you can stand with your fellow crewmembers that day, click here to RSVP.

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association plans to conduct informational picketing at five airports (ATL, BWI, HOU, LAX, and MDW) on Aug. 31. If you can stand with your fellow pilots that day, click here to RSVP.

We Need More Volunteers

This is a new message from the Sudden Grief Response Program.

The Sudden Grief Response Program is looking for volunteers to assist family members in times of crisis. We are a specialized committee that deals with the unexpected death of a pilot, or a pilot’s family member, and assists the survivors as needed through these tough times.

If you are interested in joining our effort, please contact FO Vern Reaser via vreaser@alliedpilots.org.

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.

• In the last five days, B777 aircraft 7LJ has been written up four times for R1 windshield heat. At the time of this writing, it was out of service.
• Since July 24, B737 aircraft 3CX  has been written up eight times and been out of service five times for cabin pressurization faults. It was recently operated under an SFP (Special Flight Permit) unpressurized with a NRFO2 management crew to a maintenance base, where it remains out of service.
• From Aug. 3 to Aug. 7, A319 aircraft 804 was written up six times and out of service four times for landing gear disagree. It was most recently signed off on Aug. 8.

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 Aug. 8: Lester Armstrong, Hugh Atkinson, Brent Blandino, Taylor Bodenhamer, Michael Brown, Carlos Buitrago, Jacob Cabra, Jess Cantrell, Preston Carrington, Matthew Casile, Yoandy Castellanos, Ryan Caulder, Keegan Christensen, Stephen Dobbin, David Haase, Alexander Hermeling, Eric Higgins, Joshua Hoffman, Matthew Holley, David Hopely, Timothy Hyer, Nicholas Koutelos, Benjamin Kula, Matthew Laurentz, James Lawson, Francisco Leach Boria, Eric Liscar Jr., John Long III, Sarah Mahloch, Shawn McDonald, Barry McKeown, Casey McLennand, Kyle Miller, Thomas Monday, Toby Moore, Daniel Moorman, Robert Nicolai, Nathan Nitzh, Cameron Nowell, Bradley Parker, Ahmad Peay, John Pelzer, Luis Perez, Anthony Petraglia, Angelo Piscopo, Andrew Piwowarek, Ernest Quallis, Shmuel Rosenfeld , Eden Sade, Alejandro Salas, Sterling Stewart, Nathaniel Tinny, Colin Vining, Jason Volentine, and Matthias Wrede.

APA Welcomes Captains’ Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

Click the image for a closer look.

On Aug. 9, 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: Brian Anderson, Ana Anderson, Richard Baumann, Michael Bramble, Eric Carlson, Bryan Compton, Nicholas Dubois, Robert Dunning, Bryan Fonseca, Tyrel Greenwade, Mark Hansberger, Arpinder Kaur, Michael Kirkpatrick, Joseph Kolarik, Alan Korotenko, Bret Kozura, Scott Malcolm, Mario Pompeii III, William Russo, Scott Shideler, Laura Smith, Brian Stockdell, David Valenziano, and Benjamin Wilson II.

Congratulations to Newly Upgraded Captains

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

We would like to recognize and congratulate these pilots who upgraded to captain last month. They are listed by their post-upgrade base and equipment.

CLT 320: Kellen Cottrell, Matthew Donoghue, Quenten Esser, Delphin Gantt, Andrew Garrett, Chadwick Greer, Michael Halliday-Williams, David Hunter, John Jarred, Marco Junco, Timothy Kahoe, Robert Meanley Jr., Michael Nicoson, Michael Pfeifer, Kyrylo Romanovych, Laura Smith, and Daniel Woodard

CLT 737: Ryan Dacey

DCA 737: Robert Chambers, David Kelley, David Kirk, and Kyle Morales

DCA 320: Christopher Daniels and Kelly Ladd

DFW 787: Bryan Compton and Robert Dunning

DFW 737: Bryan Black, Jerad Carpenter, Thomas Crews, David Elston, John Fierro, Bryan Fonseca, Chad Griffith, Samuel Hernandez Carlo, Arpinder Kaur, Nicholas Kinner, Joe Kolarik, Alan Korotenko, Duncan Mackechney, Rick Massimi, and Sean Noel

DFW 320: Clifford Austin, Shannon Buller, Donald Butler, Joe Cardillo, Manuel Castro, Carlos Coloma, Chad Craig, Todd Dornlas, Kenneth Evans, Nikki Green, James Haizlip, Matthew Hall, Mark Hansberger, David Hoekstra, Matthew Hoerstman, Walter Hohmann, Todd Homan, Kelly Kareis, Graham Kyle III, Karl Lamm, Chad Lampe, Amanda Lantz, William Magyar, Ricardo Mata, Jonathan McMillian, Mark Myers, Charles Niblack, Max Pippin, Brent Pounders, Alan Radford, James Reagan, Michael Roberson, Timothy Scaife, Ian Shirey, James Sowden, Tanner Stapp, Calvin Tenhet, Arthur Villegas, Michael Wear, George Wilson, Kevin Wilson, and Ehren Zapletal

LAX 737: Keene Cameron and Gordon Sheals

LAX 320: Adrian Arjonilla, Jonathan Barlow, Paul Berthon, Anthony Ciaravella, Martin Fedigan Jr., Ashkan Karimi, Thomas Leisek, Joseph Panettiere, Seth Pelletier, Richard Perkins, Mario Pompeii III, Jarod Robinson, and Jacques Rogers

LGA 777: Richard Dilko

LGA 737: Nicholas Dubois, William Jester, Jeffrey Kerr, Steven Lasker, Samuel Rodriguez Caballero, Devin Tolentino, Sean Vance, and Forrest Zetterberg

MIA 777: Michael O’Bryan

MIA 737: Esteban Arcila Aranzazu, David Behar, Christopher Benaiges, Leandro De Los Santos, Hugo Gonzalez, Juan Gutierrez, Daniel Housley, Michael Siegel, Alejandro Sparis, Ray Tidwell III, and John Twitchell

MIA 320: Marcelo DeMelo, Michael Morse, Chris Nicholson, and Nicholas Taylor

ORD 737: Perfecto Bahena Salgado, Mathew Boesche, Eric Carlson, Christopher Chapekis, Bret Hildebrant, and Scott Malcolm

PHL 320: Mike Amos, Todd Gruber, Ilian Peltekov, Adam Rockhill, and Heidi Theile

PHX 320: Richard Baumann, Tyrel Greenwade, and Steven Wargocki

APA Represented at OBAP Conference

CA Andrea Hoover, FO Josh Daneault, CA Steve Pacheco, CA Jorge Sanchez, CA Melvin White, and FO Natalie Anagnostou

Members of the Strike and Tactical Operations Planning Committee and the Family Awareness Committee were at the annual Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals conference in New Orleans this week, answering pilots’ questions about APA, American Airlines, and Tentative Agreement 2.0.

Domicile Events

Get more details about these upcoming events at AlliedPilots.org/Calendar:

• DCA: Flying Circus Aerodrome on Sept. 17; Memorial Golf Tournament on Sept. 28
• LAX: Reno Air Races on Sept. 13-17; Fleet Week lunch aboard the San Francisco Belle Sun on Oct. 8; San Diego Yacht Club party on Nov. 2; Dave & Buster’s event at LAS on Dec. 5
• LGA: New York Mets game on Sept. 2

Domicile Elections

Resumes for the following candidates were mailed to PHL and PHX pilots on Aug. 9, when they were also posted on the APA Elections webpage.

PHL Chair
FO Michael Drost
CA Francis Heid
CA Brian Sweep

PHL Vice Chair
FO Jordan Glasner
CA Brian Sweep

PHX Chair
CA Herschel Beard IV
CA Michael Saracino
FO Jim Varden

PHX Vice Chair
FO Jeremy Ryder
FO Jim Varden

Election Round ballots will be mailed on Sept. 7 and tallied on Sept. 28.

If necessary, Runoff Round ballots would be mailed on Oct. 10 and tallied on Oct. 31.

If you have any questions, call 817-302-2175.

Week in Review

The following messages were sent since last week’s News Digest was published.

• Secretary-Treasurer: Ratification Voting Q&A 
• Professional Standards and Safety Committees: Unauthorized Use of Personal Electronic Devices During Flight Deck Duties 
• Safety Committee: Maui Fires

Are You Willing to Serve?

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

• Aeromedical Committee (1)
  • Critical Incident Response Program (1)
  • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
  • Human Intervention Motivation Study Subcommittee (3)
  • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
  • Project Wingman Subcommittee (3)
• Captain’s Authority Committee (5)
• Communications Committee (0)
  • National Communications Network (6)
• Compass Project (5)
• Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
• Jumpseat/Non-Rev Committee (2)
• Professional Standards Committee (1)
• Retirement & Benefits Committee (2)
• Safety Committee (0)
  • Environmental Sustainability in Aviation Subcommittee (2)
• Scheduling Committee (7)
• Training Committee (3)
  • Checkmate (1 on 777 and 1 on 320)

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

Professional Standards FAQs

How do we add and who selects committee members?
The Domicile Officers are responsible for determining the number of and selecting the candidates for the domicile Professional Standards committees. Typical volunteers possess qualities such as maturity, empathy, peer respect, tact, and strict adherence to standard operating procedures and protocols. The APA President selects the national committee members from an approved list of recommended candidates.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

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

9/11 Museum Offers Free Admission

Active and retired flight crewmembers are invited to visit the National Sept. 11 Memorial & Museum in New York for free during National Aviation Week (Aug. 14-20). Click here to reserve free tickets.

Honoring and Supporting Veterans

100 Vets Who Give A Damn DFW is a group of like-minded veterans who want to make an impact on military charities. Technically, the group does not exist; it has no directors, officers, or treasurers. Its core group of organizers are simply volunteers generously donating their time to try and make a difference.

Three organizations are randomly chosen from a list of member-nominated charities. Representatives for those organizations are asked to make five-minute presentations about why they deserve the group’s support. After the presentations, the charity that receives the most votes from the vets in the room will be the suggested recipient. Each veteran then writes a check to the suggested charity and/or the ones that moved them the most.

The next meeting at the C.R. Smith Museum in Fort Worth is scheduled for Sept. 21, when the vets will hear from Brother’s Keeper, Hero Lab, and Project Sanctuary. 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 Aug. 19 at IAD. 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.