APA News Digest

June 6, 2025

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

In This Edition ...

With PBS bidding set to open at 1200 Central on Sunday, we begin this edition with reminders of some big events on the national and domicile levels that are happening in July. Please bid accordingly.

Make Plans to Join Us at Oshkosh

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

a group of pilots in a lobby

Click the image for a closer look.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the world’s largest aviation gathering, is scheduled for July 21-27. APA’s Family Awareness Committee will host gatherings on a daily basis. If you plan to attend any of these dinners or happy hours, please let us know via the RSVP links at AlliedPilots.org/Calendar.

(To see the Family Awareness events, you may need to adjust your preferences by clicking the gear icon at the top of the calendar. However, we have included direct links to each event below.)

Volunteers needed! If you are interested in volunteering a few hours from 1600 to 2000, we will reward you for your efforts:

  • If you agree to volunteer for one night, you will get a one-day pass to the airshow.
  • If you agree to volunteer for three or more nights, you will get a weeklong pass to the airshow.

If you are interested, please contact CA Jerry Gemma via jgemma@alliedpilots.org or 561-703-2219.

Can We Take You Out to a Ballgame?

Four domiciles have scheduled events at Major League Baseball games in July, and two other games are on the calendar in August.

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

National Telephone Town Hall Meeting on June 17 

APA President FO Nick Silva will host a national telephone town hall meeting on Tuesday, June 17, beginning at 1700 Central. In the coming days, we will share a detailed agenda for the town hall, which will include a question-and-answer session with participating pilots.

A few minutes before the town hall begins, all members in good standing will receive a call from Telephone Town Hall Meeting, the vendor that assists APA with its town halls. The phone number that will appear in your caller ID is 817-302-2171. We recommend adding this number to your contacts. For members unable to answer the outbound call, you may connect by dialing 855-269-4484, and we will also post a link to the AlliedPilots.org member home page.

We look forward to updating you and providing answers to your questions.

PHL Captain to Compete in Air Race Classic

Captain Alicia Sikes (right) and Nancy Rohr will fly in the Air Race Classic.

On June 17, a remarkable fleet of more than 40 planes will lift off from Fairhope, Ala., charting a course westward to Felts Field in Spokane, Wash. These aircraft, ranging from Cessna 172s to Piper Arrows and Mooney 201s, will be flown exclusively by women, each one participating in the historic Air Race Classic. Among the diverse group of participants — students, teachers, doctors, and business owners — will be our very own CA Alicia Sikes.

As part of a series of articles highlighting what “Life Off the Line” is like for our members, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Shay Marchetti detailed CA Sikes’ adventures in the Air Race Classic on Medium.

Positive Rate Episode 55: Pilot Occupational Health

In the latest episode of our “Positive Rate” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with CA Kevin Macelhaney, Aeromedical Committee Deputy Chair-Pilot Occupational Health, about the subcommittee’s efforts to mitigate occupational hazards such as space weather, radiation, and fume events.

Each episode of “Positive Rate” features APA subject-matter experts working on the membership’s behalf. The podcast is available through popular streaming services, including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can search for “Positive Rate” or “Allied Pilots Association” on your platform of choice to subscribe and download. Your first opportunity to listen will be via AlliedPilots.org/Podcasts.

Volunteers Needed for Smoke Odor and Fumes Subcommittee

This is a repeated message from the APA Safety Committee.

The APA Safety Committee is seeking two line pilots to serve on our Smoke Odor and Fumes (SOF) Subcommittee.

We are looking for pilots who work well with others and are interested in helping their peers by assuring a safer working environment. This work will be rewarding to those who enjoy problem solving, identifying trends, and driving positive change through productive discussion.

The subcommittee members will collaborate with Engineering and MOC to ensure work cards are followed in a methodical manner. Because they will be addressing SOF events in real time, the subcommittee members will need to be accessible and responsive.

Eligible candidates should have a working knowledge of the current SOF procedures. They should also have strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills, excellent writing abilities, and solid deductive reasoning. Among the duties of our SOF volunteers:

  • Manage weekly, monthly, and quarterly meetings devoted to reviewing SOF data and events.
  • Attend the SOF Spring and Fall Summits.
  • Make OEM shop visits.
  • Monitor the SOF Hotline 24/7.
  • Coordinate with MedAire for crew support when SOF events occur.

If you are interested in serving, please send a cover letter with your resume to STSAP Coordinator Amber Thompson at athompson@alliedpilots.org. The Safety Committee will accept applications from interested pilots through Wednesday, June 11.

Want to Recommend a Deserving Student for a Scholarship? 

The APA Membership Committee sent the following message to all members on Tuesday.

The APA Emergency Relief & Scholarship Fund Board of Governors will convene on June 19 to screen, approve, and distribute scholarships for the coming academic year. Please email Membership Committee Chair CA Steve Pacheco – who serves on the Board of Governors – at spacheco@alliedpilots.org if you would like to recommend a scholarship candidate for consideration. The Fund provides scholarships to children of deceased or disabled APA members and to other students with no direct ties to APA.

The Fund also approves grant requests throughout the year for APA members who suffer a catastrophic loss and need immediate financial assistance, and it has provided loans to furloughees experiencing financial hardship.

APA Welcomes Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

a group of pilots in a lobby

Click the image for a closer look.

On June 4, 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: Joseph Ashcroft, Jonathan Cain, Timothy Garbat, Jeromy Harris, Corbett Hunt, and Kevin Montgomery.

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.

DCA 737: Miguel Angel Gaibor Pazmino

DFW 320: Nate Starley

LGA 737: Adam Rutherford

PHL 320: Charles McCarthy

Gone West

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

We extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones of these pilots, whose deaths we learned of in May: Ed Long, 73, on Feb. 28; Rick Keeney, 69, on March 18; Scott Willson, 76, on April 4; Bill Eaves, 87, on April 21; Chris Reilly, 72, on April 22; Fritz Lotter, 75, on May 3; Steve Booras, 91, on May 4; Vance “VD” Dawson, 76, on May 4; Rick McBurnett, 80, on May 4; Mike Richard, 74, on May 4; Lloyd “Mac” McBeth, 99, on May 8; Bob Harry, 84, on May 17; and Mark Horn, 60, on May 21.

Network Maintenance on June 11

The APA Communications Committee sent the following message to all members on Wednesday.

Our primary network provider has scheduled a six-hour maintenance window beginning at 0000 Central on June 11.

The APA IT Department now has full network redundancy via a secondary network provider, and services will automatically transition to the secondary provider during this time. While we anticipate minimal impact on member services, our team will be onsite at APA HQ to monitor the transition to our secondary provider and conduct a comprehensive review of system performance.

Please contact the APA IT Department at Helpdesk@alliedpilots.org if you observe any issues after the maintenance window ends.

APA Medical Minute – Common GI Procedures

In this encore edition of the APA Medical Minute, APA Medical Advisor Tina Smith discusses common gastrointestinal procedures, such as the upper endoscopy and the colonoscopy.

You can watch previous Medical Minute videos on APA’s YouTube channel.

APA Contract Minute – Sick if Needed

In this previously released edition of the APA Contract Minute, Contract Compliance Committee Chair CA Jason Saxer answers this frequently asked question: “I am sick if needed. Will RAS only charge me sick if I am the last and only Qualified, Legal, and Available (QLA) pilot for a sequence?”

PHL and PHX Domicile Elections

Pilots’ names can be submitted for nomination in this year’s PHL and PHX domicile elections between 0900 Central on June 9 and 0900 Central on July 1.

PHL pilots will elect a Chair and Vice Chair to represent their domicile for a three-year term beginning on Nov. 1, while PHX pilots will elect a Chair and Vice Chair to represent their domicile for a one-year term starting on the same date. This is in accordance with the realignment of APA election cycles, as stipulated by R2024-12 Rev 1, “BOD Term Length and Limits,” and R2025-02 Rev 1, “Election Category Modifications.”

For more details, visit the Elections page on AlliedPilots.org.

Week in Review

Here are some recent messages you may have missed:

Are You Willing to Serve?

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

  • Aeromedical Committee (0)
    • Critical Incident Response Program Subcommittee (2)
    • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
    • Human Intervention Motivational Study Subcommittee (1)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (2)
  • Communications Committee (0)
    • National Communications Network (2)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • Retirement and Benefits Committee (1)*
  • Training Committee (0)
    • Checkmate (1 on 777)

* Seeking volunteer with financial services experience and possible AIF®, CFP®, or related designations.

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

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. Our next cruise, a nine-night excursion across the southern Caribbean, launches Oct. 9.

Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar

The Future & Active Pilot Alliance’s next Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar are scheduled for June 13 and June 14 at CLT. 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.

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