APA News Digest

June 27, 2025

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In This Edition ...

Captain’s Final Trip Was Family Affair

three airline pilots walking through a terminal

CA Ron Ranola with sons FO Jake Ranola and CA Nick Ranola

The final trip of Ron Ranola’s career at American Airlines was as memorable as it was meaningful. Operating a two-day sequence from ORD to LAX and back on the 737, Ron had his twin sons riding the jumpseat for both legs. Nick Ranola had just finished his first trip as a captain at Envoy, and Jake Ranola would start upgrade training the following week.

“It’s kind of cool with one Captain Ranola retiring that two more are coming up,” Jake said.

When Flight 1598 arrived at ORD on June 21, the Ranolas were greeted by a water cannon salute, a cake, and a Fini Flight celebration.

“It’s very bittersweet for sure,” Jake added. “I’ve watched him fly my whole life. It’s the end of a chapter.”

You can read the rest of Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Shay Marchetti’s article about the Ranolas on Medium, and you can see photos of other recent Fini Flight celebrations on Facebook.

“Any Further Delays are Unacceptable”

In a submission to the Federal Register on June 19, APA President FO Nick Silva expressed APA’s opposition to the petition for exemption that Airlines for America (A4A) submitted in May regarding installed physical secondary barriers. A4A is seeking a two-year exemption from the FAA rule that all Part 121 operators utilize secondary barriers on newly manufactured aircraft delivered after Aug. 25. In the submission, FO Silva emphasized that “any further delays are unacceptable” and that “24 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, flight deck access vulnerability still exists.”

Ray Duke Riding Off Into Sunset

a man displaying a custom belt buckle

Monday will be the last day of Ray Duke’s tenure at APA after 34 years of employment. He was hired shortly after getting his law degree from Texas Tech University and before he had passed the bar exam. He eventually rose to the position of Director of Safety, Training, Security, Aeromedical, and Professional Standards. On Thursday, the APA staff and some committee volunteers past and present gathered for a farewell lunch.

Safety Committee Chair CA Jason Sharp said pilots can occasionally find themselves crossways with airline management or federal regulators. “We always had Ray Duke to help us get out of those spots,” he said.

“Ray has saved careers, and he’s saved lives. You can’t say that about every attorney,” said Senior Director of Legal Affairs Jim Clark, who presented Mr. Duke with a custom belt buckle.

It was an appropriate parting gift for a tried-and-true Texan who decorated his office with stuffed animals (think taxidermy, not toys), liked to ask applicants during job interviews whether they eat red meat, and chose chicken-fried steak as the main entrée for Thursday’s lunch.

Happy trails, partner!

APA Holiday Schedule

APA headquarters, including Contract Administration, will be closed on July 3 and 4 in observance of Independence Day. Contract Administration will be open from 0700 to 1900 Central on July 5 and 6.

As always, your APA support team remains available 24/7. When Contract Administration is closed, calls will be forwarded to a phone service operated by Contract Compliance Committee and Flight Time/Duty Time Committee volunteers. Please note that call-back times may be longer than normal due to limited staffing. If your call is not urgent, we encourage you to wait until normal business hours resume.

You may also want to consult the pilot volunteers on your domicile’s Contract Compliance Committee. Almost every domicile has one, and some of them have larger rosters than the national committee. Contact your local committee by visiting your domicile’s page on AlliedPilots.org and clicking the “Domicile Committee List” link.

To reach a contract administrator, call APA HQ at 1-800-323-1470 and press Option 3. If you prefer to e-mail your question to the contract administrators, click here. For specific FAR 117/fatigue issues requiring immediate attention, you can also call the Emergency Help Line at 682-738-6670 manned 24/7 by Flight Time/Duty Time Committee volunteers.

APA Announces Scholarship Recipients

The APA Emergency Relief and Scholarship Fund Board of Governors met this month to screen, approve, and distribute scholarships for the coming year, awarding $95,000 in merit-based scholarships, $85,000 in flight school scholarships, and $105,000 in re-awards for students with existing scholarships.

We are pleased to announce the following recipients and their schools of choice:

Merit-Based Scholarships
Matthew Daudelin – Indiana University
Isabel Duncan – University of Utah
Joshua Fabianek – Grand Canyon University
Madeline Fletcher – Oklahoma University
William Fletcher – Texas Tech University
Victoria Herrera – Feather River College
Allison Knauff – College of Charleston
Kristen Knauff – University of South Carolina
Brendan Knox – Wentworth Institute of Tech
Sarah Myers – Northeastern University
Norah Elizabeth O’Connell – University of Tennessee
Kerigan Williams – Auburn University
Jacon Wood – University of North Dakota

Aviation School Scholarships
Alexander Boone – Liberty University
Darren Darlington – Illinois Aviation Academy
Eric Darlington Jr. – Illinois Aviation Academy
Michael Dinolfo – Long Island Aviators
Brooklyn Dosen – Cochise College
John Dunning – Eastern Kentucky University
Masen Kartsen – Royal Aviation SNA
Harper Meehan – Jacksonville University
Alona Miller – Pressley Aviation
Braxton Townsley – Jeff Air Pilot Services
Ewelina Wessels – Illinois Aviation Academy

Summer Board Meeting Set for Aug. 4-8

The APA Board of Directors will convene at union headquarters in Fort Worth on Aug. 4 for its regularly scheduled summer meeting.

The meeting agenda will include a Membership and Guest Hour on the first day immediately following the APA President’s report. Policy stipulates that “Any APA member(s) in good standing or, with the consent of the Board, a guest of a member shall be allowed to address the board. Allocation of time will be 60 minutes divided by the number of members/guests desiring to speak; however, no individual will be afforded more than 10 minutes, including any questions/ answers by the Board. Members and guests must advise the meeting Chair of their desire to address the Board.” Please email asmith@alliedpilots.org if you wish to address the Board.

The Board is tentatively scheduled to receive briefings from the following during the meeting: 

  • Economic & Financial Analysis Committee
  • Investor Relations Committee
  • Joint Implementation Action Committee
  • Negotiating Committee
  • APA-ALPA Merger Negotiation Committee
  • Aeromedical Committee
  • Communications Committee
  • National Communications Network
  • Advanced Aircraft and Flight Systems Subcommittee
  • Appeal Board
  • Contract Compliance Committee
  • Training Committee
  • Family Awareness Committee
  • Strike and Tactical Operations Committee
  • Professional Standards Committee
  • Military Affairs Subcommittee

The meeting will also include these agenda items as required by policy:

  • 2 hours of domicile issues discussion
  • Action taken on previous motions and tasking orders
  • List of grievances above a step 2
  • Negotiating priorities
  • Committee budgets
  • National Committee Recommendation List
  • Approval of newly appointed national committee members
  • Negotiating refresher training

Untimely Transportation

This is a new message from the APA Hotel Committee.

Your Hotel Committee has seen an uptick in transportation issues and subsequent debriefs. Please continue to submit Hotel Debriefs regarding such issues, whether they are associated with hotel-provided transportation or third-party transportation.

Remember, if transportation is not timely or suitable, the CBA gives you the option to secure your own transportation and expense it to the Company. If you prefer not to go through the expense process, you can have the Hotel/Limo Desk order you an Uber through their corporate account. Ride-share transportation should always be the back-up plan and never the default.

Section 7.C of our contract says, “Pilots who are authorized lodging shall be allowed actual expenses incurred for necessary transportation between the airport and the hotel of lodging if the: (1) planned transportation is untimely, or (2) ground transportation is not made available by the Company.”

How long should you wait? You personally get to decide what is “untimely.” There is NOTHING in the contract that specifies a time frame, and your determination of untimely may vary due to weather conditions, the length of your layover, fatigue levels, etc. Should you find the wait untimely, you are within your contractual rights to secure transportation and receive reimbursement via the SAP Concur app on your AA iPad.

For more information, check out the 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.

Halon Leak Hazard from Fire Extinguishers

This is a new message from the APA Safety Committee.

We have been made aware of instances of fire extinguishers leaking halon in B-737 flight decks. This can be particularly hazardous if the halon is discharged during flight, as halon may displace oxygen in the flight deck. However, AA Cabin Engineering has put in place mitigations to solve the problem.

Each leaking extinguisher showed evidence of a cracked or bulging seal at the neck of the bottle. APA recommends that pilots look at the fire extinguisher seal when checking the pressure gauge on pre-flight – this applies to all fleets. If the pressure gauge indicates low, or a seal is visibly bulging or cracked, enter the discrepancy in the AML.

fire extinguisher

This extinguisher has a normal seal.

fire extinguisher

This bulging seal resulted in a rapid discharge.

fire extinguisher

This cracked seal resulted in a slow leak.

Labor Groups Compare Notes on Fatigue

This is a new message from the APA Flight Time/Duty Time Committee.

This week, members of your Flight Time/Duty Time Committee attended a two-day forum on Part 117 and fatigue hosted by our counterparts at United. Also in attendance were flight time/duty time and fatigue principals from the Delta, JetBlue, UPS, FedEx, Southwest, Alaska, and Hawaiian labor groups. These committees maintain frequent contact to discuss happenings in fatigue and Part 117, and to ensure that all participants have the opportunity to discuss and determine best practices in these areas from a labor perspective.

As we approach what’s expected to be the industry’s busiest Independence Day week in 15 years, you may want to review the Summer Fatigue Guide we published earlier this month.

Air Quality Coalition Lauds Two Developments

This is a new message from the APA Aeromedical Committee.

APA Aeromedical Committee Chair CA Rondeau Flynn also chairs the Executive Board of the Global Cabin Air Quality Executive, a coalition that represents more than 100,000 pilots and flight attendants around the world. CA Flynn participated in a press conference in London on June 23 that was timed to two events: the announcement of a new aircraft engine oil developed by the French firm NYCO and the release of This is Your Captain Speaking, a documentary about the dangers of contaminated air.

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.

Built From Broken

This book is your way out of the pain/injury cycle. Built From Broken: A Science-Based Guide to Healing Painful Joints, Preventing Injuries, and Rebuilding Your Body presents a paradigm shift in how to think about corrective exercise, sports nutrition, and joint health. Once you see how the system works, you’ll never look at exercise or joint health the same way again.

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.

Make Plans to Join Us at Oshkosh

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

a group of pilots in matching Hawaiian shirts

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.

APA Welcomes Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

a group of pilots in a lobby

On June 25, 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: Jimmy Deragisch James Myers, Steven Shatto, Eric Varner, and Christopher Wells.

APA Medical Minute – Kidney Stones

In this encore edition of the APA Medical Minute, APA Medical Advisor Christopher Ryan is back with guidance regarding kidney stones.

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

Domicile Elections

Pilots’ names can be submitted for nomination in this year’s PHL and PHX domicile elections until 0900 Central on July 1. Here’s how many pilots were officially seeking nomination for each position as of 1200 Central today:

  • PHL Chair: 1
  • PHL Vice Chair: 1
  • PHX Chair: 1
  • PHX Vice Chair: 3

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.

Domicile Events

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

  • BOS: Concourse Conversations on July 9; Boston Red Sox game on July 10
  • DCA:  Leesburg Executive Airport Pancake Breakfast & Fly-In on June 28; Washington Nationals game on July 22
  • DFW: Domicile Meeting on July 15; Texas Rangers game on Aug. 24
  • LAX: San Diego Lunch on July 8; Camarillo Lunch on July 9; Dana Point Lunch on July 10; Redondo Beach Lunch on July 15; Temecula Lunch on July 16; San Diego Padres game on July 28
  • LGA: New York Mets game on Aug. 31
  • MIA: Domicile Meeting on July 31
  • PHL: Philadelphia Phillies game on July 23
  • PHX: Concourse Conversations on July 16

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)
    • 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

What records are kept for Professional Standards?
None. There are no individual case files kept, nor are there any records in an employee’s Permanent Employment History (PEH). Only non-specific, de-identified logs are kept to maintain generic trends and reliability of the program.

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 July 11 and 12 at DEN. 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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