APA News Digest

Aug. 2, 2024

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

In This Edition ...

Thank You to Everyone at Oshkosh

We thoroughly enjoyed meeting all of the pilots and their families who stopped by our hospitality area during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and we appreciate the efforts of the APA Family Awareness Committee, who made six evenings’ worth of dinners and happy hours possible.

APA Medical Minute – Prostate Health

In the latest edition of the APA Medical Minute, APA Medical Advisor Kathy Parr discusses prostate health, noting that it’s one of the most common topics members inquire about.

APA Contract Minute – Reassignments

This is a new message from the APA Contract Compliance Committee.

CA Jason Saxer is back with a new APA Contract Minute. In this edition, he discusses Section 15.N, which provides for a pay, no credit removal from future flying for pilots reassigned over their Individual Monthly Maximum or the Company Limit on Voluntary Flying.

Final Report on Governance and Reform

This is a new message from the Governance and Reform Ad Hoc Committee.

Last week, APA Vice President CA Chris Torres gave the Governance and Reform Ad Hoc Committee’s final brief to the Board of Directors. The committee, created last year in recognition of the APA membership’s desire for reforms, conducted extensive membership polling and interviewed former National Officers and Domicile Officers. Based on that feedback, the committee crafted a total of 57 proposals for Board consideration, with the Board approving 41 of them for action. The Board subsequently considered 24 related resolutions and voted to approve 22 of them. All members are welcome to read the committee’s final report.

If Wait Times are Excessive, Help Yourself

This is a new message from the APA Hotel Committee.

Last week, we discussed “Booking in Progress.” What about when you arrive at a layover destination and realize you don’t have a room for the night, perhaps because you timed out? As many of you have experienced, wait times for Crew Tracking and the Hotel/Limo Desk have been lengthy lately. We do not recommend excessively delaying your rest because of these waits. If the wait time is excessive, and you know you will be laying over in the current city (Crew Tracking has repaired your sequence or you have timed out), you can book your own hotel room and ground transportation and expense them to the company. As a reminder, APA does not recommend using BizHero for company travel.

To file an expense report for hotel and/or transportation reimbursement, you will need to use the SAP Concur app on your company iPad or use the link in AAPilots: Personal & Profile > My Financial Information > Concur Expense Reporting.

You will need to submit a photo of your receipt(s). All receipts for a particular trip may be included in the same Pilot Expense Report and must be submitted within 60 days of the incurred expense. Please contact your base flight office if you need help submitting a report.

For more information, check out the recently updated 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.

Join Us for YOUnion 401 on Aug. 14

This is a new message from the APA Compass Project Committee.

The Compass Project will host a “YOUnion 401” meeting via Zoom at 1100 Central on Aug. 14. This retirement preparation seminar is intended for pilots who are at least 50 years old. In collaboration with the company, we will preview the AA and APA benefits and programs that will be available to you as a retired pilot. There will be time for questions.

Click here to register for the Aug. 14 meeting.

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.

  • Since July 13, the satellite communications on B787 aircraft 8LB has been written up eight times and been out of service three times. It was most recently written up on July 31 and remained out of service at the time of this writing.
  • Since May 12, B777 aircraft 7AE has had center fuel tank issues that have been written up 18 times, been on MEL four times, and been out of service eight times. It was most recently signed off on August 1 and has been restricted to Class 1 and 2 maintenance stations since July 17.
  • UPDATE: Since July 7, the digital flight data recorder on A321 aircraft 799 has been written up 13 times, been on MEL four times, and been out of service nine times. It was most recently signed off on July 29.

APA Welcomes Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

Click the image for a closer look.

On July 31, 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: Gregory Allen, William Cordoba Arenas, Jeffrey Fitzgerald, Geoffrey Haw, Christopher Hey, Joseph Lanera, Scott Lundgren, Michael Redmon Jr., Janelle Setta, Bradley Snead, Andrea Themely, and Miriam Williams.

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 June and July: Don Schramski, 72, on May 14, 2019; Larry Kavouras, 74, on March 24, 2024; Jimmie Amos, 72, on April 10; Jim Freeman, 85, on May 13; Tom Goode, 67, on May 14; Larry Bernard, 81, on May 15; Jim Groves, 89, on May 17; Pete Gist, 85, on May 30; Gene Lanman, 84, on June 1; Bill Hoffman, 90, on June 2; Bob Lance, 76, on June 3; Bob Teasley, 77, on June 4; Dave Hooper, 77, on June 5; Jack Mason, 91, on June 5; Paul Engel, 85, on June 13; Jim Magee, 94, on June 13; Dave McGuire, 73, on June 13; Stanly Widau, 77, on June 13; David Becker, 68, on June 19; Travis Acheson, 55, on June 21; Dick Deville, 81, on June 21; Grant Simmons, 88, on July 4; and Frank Schneider, 90, on July 8.

Domicile Events

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

Domicile Elections

Pilots based at CLT, LGA, and MIA will elect a Chair and Vice Chair to represent each domicile for three-year terms that will begin on Nov. 1.

These candidates’ resumes will be emailed (and posted on the Elections page on AlliedPilots.org) on Aug. 6:

CLT Chair
CA Heather Ducimo Boulanger
CA Erik DeWinne
CA Casey Granger

CLT Vice Chair
CA Casey Granger
FO Hickory Ham
CA Michael Pfeifer
FO Tammy Smart

LGA Chair
CA Lawrence Cutler
CA Jeff Kerr
CA Mark Lokey

LGA Vice Chair
CA David Hines
CA Michael Phelan
CA Sam Pool
CA James Scanlan
CA Robert D. White

MIA Chair
CA Thomas Copeland
CA Andrew Weingram
CA Jay Wilhelm

MIA Vice Chair
CA Scott Craig
FO Jamie Funderburk
FO Steven Mann
CA Ken Wells
CA Anne Witcher

When there are four or more candidates for a domicile position, the APA Constitution and Bylaws calls for a Nomination Round that winnows the field to three. The Nomination Round voting period will be open from 0000 Central on Aug. 7 until 0001 Central on Aug. 29. The deadline for receipt of mailed paper ballots is 1000 Central on Aug. 29.

For more information, 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)
    • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
    • Human Intervention Motivation Study Subcommittee (1)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
    • Project Wingman Subcommittee (3)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (2)
  • Communications Committee (0)
    • National Communications Network (2)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • Scheduling Committee (7)
  • Training Committee (4)
    • Checkmate (1 on 777)

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

Professional Standards FAQs

Is Professional Standards suitable for conduct issues or performance issues?
It may be suited for both. The program is designed to promote and maintain professionalism. It is well-suited for any case, conduct, or performance when professionalism may be an issue.

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.

Pilot Job Fairs and Future Pilot Seminars

Future & Active Pilot Advisors’ next Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar are scheduled for Aug. 23 at IAD followed by Sept. 20 at TPA. 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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