APA News Digest

Nov. 10, 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 ...

TASC Sabre Restored; Work Continues on Other Systems

As you know, APA was the target of a ransomware attack on Oct. 30. The restoration process continues non-stop. Here was the status of that work as of 1600 Central today.

That service grid will be updated on the member home page of AlliedPilots.org, where pilots can also find a Q&A about the situation.

As to those services and applications that have already been restored, you may still experience some delays or interruptions due to unanticipated issues. Please email helpdesk@alliedpilots.org to report any issues you encounter.

APA Board of Directors Adjourns Fall Meeting

The APA Board of Directors reconvened for its regularly scheduled fall meeting at 0900 Central today.

In his briefing, Safety Committee Chair CA Todd Wissing emphasized that “we like to be collaborative because that’s the way safety works.” He reminded the Board of APA’s industry leadership in the safety arena, including the creation of the Aviation Safety Action Program and the industry’s first Flight Operations Quality Assurance program. He detailed the committee’s focus on reinvigorating APA’s accident investigation GO Team at the direction of APA President CA Ed Sicher, citing the need for a fully certified GO Team as a prerequisite for attaining party status by the National Transportation Safety Board in the event of an accident. That way, he noted, APA can be at the table in an accident investigation to provide a pilot perspective. He also addressed the increased risks to the operation due to management’s decision to shut down the Flight Test program in 2021 after 60 years of service, largely remove check pilots from HIT cities, a “massive churn” in training accelerated by pandemic-era retirements, and lower overall cockpit experience levels. “APA’s role has never been more important to the safety of our pilots and passengers,” he said. Safety Operations Subcommittee member FO Mitch Hanson detailed the certification process for the GO Team, which has 33 members and 14 subcommittees for built-in redundancy to ensure readiness. The committee also cited the need to rebuild APA’s cadre of domicile safety volunteers.

At the conclusion of the Safety Committee briefing, the Board voted to approve the following:

  • A motion to authorize a budget adjustment not to exceed $150,000 to the Safety Committee (General) for the Accident Investigation GO Team revitalization plan.
  • A motion to authorize a budget adjustment of $78,000 to the Safety Committee (General) to establish a National Domicile Safety Liaison position.
  • A motion to authorize a budget adjustment of $125,000 to the Safety Committee (General) to cover costs associated with a National Domicile Safety Training Summit to be conducted by the APA Safety Committee in Q2 2024.

Check Pilot Committee Chair CA Jim Scully expressed his appreciation for the working relationship between committee and Board and thanked the Board for the Section 12 improvements in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement – “the best I’ve ever seen at the airline,” he said. Deputy Chair CA Sean Washington echoed those sentiments, calling the new CBA “the best contract I’ve worked under at the three airlines I’ve worked for. We accomplished our goal.”

Jumpseat/Non-Rev Committee Chair CA Steve England highlighted the positive jumpseat-related changes in the new contract, including what he termed “industry-leading” provisions governing weight-restricted flights. “We have the best language for this right now because it allows us to bring offline pilots on weight-restricted flights. We can take any pilot.” He also cited other enhancements such as the ability to accommodate jumpseaters from other airlines in crew rest areas. “All of the things we got in this contract are phenomenal for our pilots.” He and Deputy Chair CA Carrie Smith also noted issues that the committee continues to address, such as management’s view that A12 travel is not positive space, a lack of transparency in the reservation system, and agents failing to accommodate jumpseaters.

Also today, the Board voted to approve the following:

  • A motion to elect CA Jim Scanlan, CA Bill Evans, and CA Wes Smith to serve on the Board of Directors Executive Personnel Committee, with CA Evans to serve as the Chair.
  • R2023-32 Rev 1, “Domicile Fund Adjustment”
  • R2023-36, “SMP Rate Adjustment and Lifetime Maximum Removal”
  • R2023-44, “Master Trust Asset Allocation Diversification”
  • R2023-49, “Suspension of The Line Forum”
  • R2023-51, “Committee Presentations at Quarterly BOD Meetings”
  • R2023-52 Rev 1, “Moderator Training”

In addition, the Board elected the following pilots to the Strategic Planning Committee: CA Chris Bacon, CA John Fierro, CA Ryan Mauldin, and CA Eric McEldowney.

The Board adjourned its meeting at 1345 Central. Its first regularly scheduled winter meeting is set for Jan. 22-25.

In accordance with R2016-10, we are providing a synopsis reflecting all main motions and resolutions that the Board addressed today.

In accordance with R2017-37 Rev 1, video footage of the open portions of the Board meeting will soon be posted here.

You can read about the first four days of the meeting by opening the “APA Information Hotline” folder at this link.

DFW Crew Honored by APA and Daedalians

Shirrie Serrioz, CA Mark Serrioz, APA President CA Ed Sicher, CA Richard Locke, and Evaleen Locke

On Thursday, CA Richard Locke and CA Mark Serrioz were presented the 2023 Michael Michaelis Safety Award for Excellence for their skillful handling of an in-flight emergency on Flight 2845 from DFW to SLC on Dec. 7, 2022.

After discovering they were unable to move the leading or trailing edge devices due to an inoperative flap actuating handle, the DFW-based crew safely guided their Airbus 321-200 to a flaps-up landing at SLC, touching down at a ground speed of 245 miles per hour. Click here to watch a video interview with CA Locke and CA Serrioz.

Each year, the APA Michael Michaelis Safety Award for Excellence Committee – currently comprised of APA President CA Ed Sicher, DCA Domicile Vice Chair CA Tim Doreen, and Safety Committee Chair CA Todd Wissing – selects an APA pilot crew for recognition of their superior performance in handling a serious safety event. The APA Safety Committee may then decide to nominate those same pilots for recognition by the Order of Daedalians, which presents its Lt. Gen. Harold L. George Civilian Airmanship Award “to the captain and crew of a United States certified commercial airline that has demonstrated the most outstanding ability, judgment and/or heroism above and beyond normal operational requirements during the preceding calendar year.” CA Locke and CA Serrioz (an FO at the time of the incident) received both awards this year.

Get Educated About Our New Contract

This is an updated message from the APA Contract Compliance Committee.

Everything you wanted to know about the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement but were too afraid to ask!

Join us on Nov. 16 in PHX or on Dec. 4 in DFW for a full day of training on the new CBA. This training will be conducted in hybrid fashion, with members welcome to participate in person or virtually via Zoom.

Please take a few moments before the training to familiarize yourself with the Electronic Document Index. You must be logged in to AlliedPilots.org for the links to be accessible. This Index connects you to a vast array of APA documents that we will reference. It is equally useful in the daily operation as a line pilot, so we recommend you retain the Index for future reference. During the training, it may be helpful to have two screens; one to run Zoom and one to reference these documents.

Help us help you! The Contract Compliance Committee’s goal is for you – the membership – to be informed, educated, and knowledgeable. Every single pilot should strive to be a contract expert or, at the very least, strive for continued learning and engagement. Knowledge is power, and it will assist you in employing and being a watchdog of your negotiated work rules.

New TDY Hotel Procedures

This is a new message from the APA Hotel Committee.

Whenever a pilot is awarded or assigned a temporary assignment (TDY), they need to let the company know their preference for a hotel. In the past, this was done during the bidding process or through email if a pilot was assigned a TDY. Going forward, all pilots who are awarded or assigned a TDY will receive a CCI message on the 7th of the month to notify them of the TDY for the following month. This CCI message will include a link to the “Pilot Hotel Preference and Waiver” page, where pilots can preference their hotel option. Pilots can select a “Airport/Short,” “Downtown/Long,” or “TDY Hotel Waiver,” which pays the TDY pilot $2,000 in lieu of a company-provided hotel room. This selection needs to be completed by 1200 Central on the 13th of the month prior to the TDY.

AA is not able to wait until PBS awards are published to make hotel assignments, because allocations need to be accomplished prior to that point. If a pilot is awarded a TDY in a co-terminal location (i.e., JFK, LGA, EWR), the Flight Admin team will attempt to reach out to the pilot after the 18th to determine the most suitable option.

If you bid for a TDY or are junior in a bid status with TDYs being offered, watch for a TDY assignment notification message in CCI on the 7th so you can properly preference for a hotel.

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.

Flight Attendants Need Our Support Next Week

This is a new message from the APA Strike and Tactical Operations Planning Committee.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants plans to conduct informational picketing across the system on Thursday, Nov. 16. If you can stand with them that day, click here to RSVP.

Our Recommended Reading List

This is a new message from the APA Aeromedical Committee.

In an effort to improve our members’ health, we have created a recommended reading list. Each month, we will highlight a book that has helped in the prevention of, treatment of, or recovery from an injury or illness, or has elevated a member’s education. Feel free to send your book recommendations to aeromed-committee@alliedpilots.org.

We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis, and mental illnesses are on the rise. But what causes mental illness? And why are mental health problems so hard to treat? Drawing on decades of research, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Christopher Palmer outlines a revolutionary new understanding in Brain Energy that for the first time unites our existing knowledge about mental illness within a single framework: Mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain.

Disclaimer: This recommendation is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services. Always consult with your medical provider when making health care decisions.

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 Oct. 31: Richard Adams, Samuel Bawden, Corie Bennett, Marcus Davis, Renzo Escobar, John Fairman, Jaime Fernandez, Otto Frantzen Pinedo, Matthew Fuller, Giacomo Grenside, John Hallada, Timothy Heise, Ronald Iriart, Jeremy Jones, Jonathan Kilcullen, Craig Kimball, Stephen Kimbrough, Ehud Kohen, Zachary Luniewski, Thomas Mahoney Jr., Mark Melikant, David Montoya, John Myers, William Pearce, Robert Randall, Blake Rogers, Emanuel Roman-Torres, Bradley Salatino, Justin Sandoval, Richard Schleyer III, Joshua Schmidt, Christopher Schuster, Usman Shahid, Christopher Simpson, Uffe Soerensen, Clinton Springer, Ryan Stewart, Derek Stuart, Jeremy Tippey, Zheng Wang, Douglas Warfel, Curtis Weddle IV, Kevin Wojtanek, Noorullah Yoosufani, and Andrew Young.

Click the image for a closer look.

The APA Membership Committee welcomed the following pilots during a casual dinner on Nov. 7: Rafael Alves Pereira, Grace Anderson, Gabriel Apodaca, Jessie Ban, Wesley Barnes, Jesus Beltran-Carrazco, Geoff Berge, Cody Blair, Emily Brown, Cody Broyles, Daniel Buttion, Gabriel Carrillo Blanco, Katherine Ceresna, Carson Charest, Carlos Chaves Hernandez, Lance Christie, Bradley Colmenares, Michael Corbin, Joseph DeSanti, Stephen Ditamore, Pruthvinath Enugula, Nathan Foltz, Benjamin Fung, Richard Guevara, Joshua Higgins, Jeffery Hoffman, Chad Husband, David Jaronsky, Katelyn Kalousek, Jaeyun Kim, David Koch, Brysen Kreighbaum, Joshua Leavitt, George Matimba, Diego Matiz, James Maune, Ryan McCord, John McCoy, Brian McInnes, James McKinney, Erik Mejia, Jeremy Melka, Michael Morris, Daniel Nowakowski, Andrew Oleniczak, Andrew Olson, James Parreira, Brent Pitts, Evan Post, Mark Povec, Victor Quintero Lagardera, Jeffrey Randolph Jr., Peter Rigg, Jose Rivera Cruz, Steven Roth Jr., Lois Sharpe, Mark Siegel, Benjamin Sorgen, Julio Valdez, Brian Vlaun, Vincent Vorsino, Rodney Wagstaff, Alec Walters, and Mark Yedlowski.

APA Welcomes Captains’ Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

Click the image for a closer look.

On Nov. 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: Sean Aland Jr., Jeffrey Clauser, Melissa Day, Andrew Gilbert, Kevin Herlihy, Peter Kim, Albert Lee, Ian Loegering, Mark Loranger, Maurice MacEwen, Jeffrey Maxson, Luis Maysonet Hernandez, Shaun McQuain, Timothy Oaks, and Devon Phillips.

Click the image for a closer look.

On Nov. 8, 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: George Abuzeid, Michael Bailey, Guy Bucknell, Spencer Conklin, Patrick Cottone, Michael Donnelly, Maury Downs, Harrison Duke, John Elder, Brian Fiek, Adam Galloway, Jason Gobble, Grant Gooch, Thomas Harmon, Michael Holland, Steven Hoody, Anthony Leung, Thomas Luman, Charles Martin, Christopher Martin, Anthony Parton, Erwin Repreza, Ryan Roberts, David Rochin, Jon Stone, Matthew Thomas, Richard Walker, John Wilbourne, Bryan Wright, and Andrew Yergler.

Domicile Events

Once you’re able to log in, visit AlliedPilots.org/Calendar to RSVP for any of these upcoming domicile events:

  • BOS: Holiday Party on Dec. 16
  • CLT: Holiday Party on Dec. 10
  • DCA: Holiday Party on Dec. 14
  • DFW: Contract Compliance training on Dec. 4; Holiday Party on Dec. 16
  • LAX: Family Awareness event in LAS on Dec. 5
  • LGA: Domicile Meeting on Nov. 16
  • MIA: Domicile Meeting on Nov. 14; Holiday Party on Dec. 2
  • ORD: Domicile Meeting on Dec. 13; Holiday Party on Dec. 14
  • PHX: Contract Compliance training on Nov. 16

Domicile Elections

The following CLT pilots have been placed into consideration for nomination as Interim Domicile Chair and have indicated a willingness to serve, if elected:

FO Russ Blackwell
FO Ryan Cianciolo
CA Casey Granger
FO Erik Knauff
CA Dan Scola

The candidates’ resumes will be mailed to all CLT pilots on Dec. 5. Nomination Round ballots will be mailed on Dec. 6 and tallied on Dec. 28. The three candidates with the most votes will advance to the Election Round.

If you have any questions, contact the APA Elections Department via 817-302-2175 or elections@alliedpilots.org.

Professional Standards FAQs

Can management continue with a traditional process after releasing a case to Professional Standards?
No. Once an issue has been released to Professional Standards, Management will not pursue action against an employee for actions contained in the referral.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

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

Wreaths Across America 

Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit whose primary mission is to fulfill its motto of “Remember, Honor, and Teach” — that is, remember our fallen U.S. veterans, honor those who serve, and teach your children the value of freedom.
Part of that mission includes coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies each year at Arlington National Cemetery and more than 3,800 other locations.

We are continuing our campaign of American Airlines pilots adopting a national cemetery in each of our domiciles, including BNA, STL, and GSW. This will enable our pilots to give as one group while supporting deceased veterans at their home base.

Please visit www.aapwaa.com and click the link for your domicile. You will find information on this year’s ceremonies and opportunities to help the local coordinators.  There is also a link at the bottom of the main page to find a cemetery near you if you do not live in your domicile and wish to help your local area.

This year’s ceremony will be on Saturday, Dec. 16, with the deadline to sponsor wreaths on Nov. 28. Please help support this cause by sponsoring wreaths at a cemetery of your choosing.

If you have any questions, please contact CA Dave Branzell at dsb81@live.com.

Sharing the Holiday Spirit with Christmas Epaulets

This popular, long-running program benefits the families of our nation’s fallen heroes and young people seeking ways to further their education.

CA John Knutson – U.S. Army veteran and a pilot for North Central, Republic, and Northwest Airlines – lost his battle with cancer in 1997 at age 56. To honor his memory, John’s widow, Mary, decided to start making Christmas epaulets. Mary originally directed all proceeds to the Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Scholarship Foundation, since John was a 1959 graduate of Chetek High School. In an acknowledgement of John’s love of country, the proceeds have been shared between the Gary Sinise Foundation/Snowball Express and the Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Scholarship Foundation in recent years.

You may buy your epaulets here for $20 plus $5.50 for shipping and handling. They’re also available at Crew Outfitters stores at DFW and IAH. If you have any questions, please contact CA Tim Knutson via info@christmasepaulets.com.

Thank you for supporting this worthy cause.

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 Nov. 18 at FLL followed by Dec. 9 at PHX. Click here for more information.