Volume 22 Number 2 (Journal 713) February, 2019
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
IN THIS ISSUE President’s Letter Page 3 Articles Page 27-49 Vice President’s Letter Page 4 Letters Page 50-58 About the Cover Page 5 In Memoriam Page 58-62 Local Reports Page 5-27 Calendar Page 64 Volume 22 Number 2 (Journal 713) February, 2019 —— OFFICERS —— President Emeritus: The late Captain George Howson President: Bob Engelman……………………………………….........954-436-3400……………………………………. [email protected] Vice President: John Gorczyca………………………………………916-941-0614…………….………………………[email protected] Sec/Treas: John Rains………………………………………….……..802-989-8828…………………………………[email protected] Membership Larry Whyman………………………………………....707-996-9312……………………………[email protected] —— BOARD OF DIRECTORS —— President - Bob Engelman — Vice President — John Gorczyca — Secretary Treasurer — John Rains Rich Bouska, Phyllis Cleveland, Cort de Peyster, Ron Jersey, Walt Ramseur Jonathan Rowbottom, Bill Smith, Cleve Spring, Larry Wright —— COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN —— Cruise Coordinator………………………………………..Rich Bouska……………………………………[email protected] Eblast Chairman…………………………………………...Phyllis Cleveland………………………….......…[email protected] RUPANEWS Manager/Editor…………………………….Cleve Spring……………………………………[email protected] RUPA Travel Rep………..………………………………...Pat Palazzolo………………………………[email protected] Website Coordinator………………………………………Jon Rowbottom………………………………....rowbottom0@aol,com Widows Coordinator………………………………………Carol Morgan………………………………[email protected] Patti Melin…………………………………[email protected] RUPA WEBSITE………………………………………………………..…………..………………………...….http://www.rupa.org —— AREA REPRESENTATIVES —— Arizona Hawaii Phoenix Road Runners……Ken Killmon.. [email protected] Hawaiian Ono Nene’s…………………………….Larry Becker Tucson Toros………...Randy Ryan…[email protected] [email protected] California Big Island Stargazers……………………...Linda Morley-Wells Dana Point…………...Joe Udovch………[email protected] Linda Morley-Wells……………….. [email protected] Los Angeles South Bay………………………. .Sharon Crawford Beth Ann Raphael……………………... [email protected] [email protected] Illinois Monterey Peninsula………………………… Phyllis Cleveland Greater Chicago Area Group [email protected] Bob Helfferich…………………. [email protected] SAC Valley Gold Wingers.John [email protected] Dick Kane……………………………... [email protected] San Diego Co…………Mark [email protected] The Joe Carnes RUPA Group San Francisco Bay-Siders’.Larry Wright…[email protected] Walt Fink…………………………[email protected] San Francisco North Bay...Bob Donegan…[email protected] Nevada San Fransico East Bay Ruparians………………………………... Las Vegas High Rollers…..Andy Anderson - [email protected] Neil Dahlstrom [email protected] Reno’s Biggest Little Group…………..Gary Dyer - Lyle U’ren Rich Bouska [email protected] Gary Dyer ………………………………[email protected] The FAT Flyers…….………….Paul [email protected] Lyle U’ren……………………………… [email protected] Thousand Oaks…….Denny Fendelander [email protected] New York Colorado New York Skyscrapers…Pete Sofman…[email protected] Denver Good Ol’ Pilots…………………………….Tom Johnston Ohio Tom Johnston……………[email protected] Cleveland Crazies………………….Phil [email protected] Stanley Boehm………………………[email protected] Oregon Florida The Columbia River Geezers—Ron Blash—Tony Passannante N.E. Florida………………..Lowell Johnston [email protected] Ron Blash……………………………….. [email protected] The Ham Wilson S.E. Florida Gold Coast Tony Passannante………………[email protected] October thru April,…….........Lyn Wordell & Ned Rankin Lyn Wordell …………………………….. [email protected] The Intrepid Aviators of Southern Oregon Ned Rankin…………………………….. [email protected] Bob Niccolls……………………………[email protected] May thru Sept.………............Jim Morehead & Art Jackson Washington Jim Morehead …………………[email protected] Seattle Gooney Birds...Henry P. [email protected] Art Jackson…………………………….. [email protected] Washington D.C. Area S.E. Florida Treasure Coast Sunbirds…………...Bob Langevin Washington D.C……..E.K. Williams [email protected] [email protected] Hampton Roads Area..…Jim Krasno [email protected] S.W. Florida………Gary Crittenden……[email protected] Tampa……...Matt Middlebrooks…[email protected] RUPANEWS (USPS 017-562) is published monthly for members for $25 per year by the Retired United Pilots Association, 1104 Burke Lane, Foster City, CA 94404-3636. Periodicals POSTAGE PAID at San Mateo, CA and additional mailing offices: POSTMASTER: Send address changes to RUPANEWS, P.O. Box 757, Stowe, VT 05672-0757 2 February, 2019 RUPANEWS President's Letter Hello everyone. I hope you had a great holiday season, and that we can look forward to a happy and healthy 2019. The first thing on my mind as I write this is the loss of our friend and mentor, Captain Leon Scarbrough. I know all the other officers feel as I do. He was always there to bounce ideas off, and to offer advice anytime we needed it. Leon was a newhire classmate of former RUPA President Cort de Peyster, who has written a nice tribute to his close friend, which appears later in this issue. Here are a couple of good deals that all pilots will like. First is for veterans. It’s a website, www.shopmyexchange.com and you can quickly fill out a form and shop military exchanges right from that site. There are some excellent deals there. Another is the United Perks. I signed up for it and I get periodic emails with graphic links to shop for services and items. I just bought a new Samsung soundbar, using a link right to the Samsung USA website, and got it for $100 off. I closed that browser and went directly to the Samsung website and, sure enough, there it was for $100 more than I got it through United Perks. Just log onto FlyingTogether at www.ft.ual.com and then go to Employee Services, My Discounts, or go right to https:// united.perkspot.com/ There you quickly set up your account and start shopping. There truly are some great deals. Then, one of our members told me about Hyatt Legal Services, which give United employees and retirees free wills, living wills and powers of attorney. I have no idea how good this service is. The reviews are mixed on line, but they’re for other prepaid legal services and not the free ones we get. I called to verify it and we do get this free of charge, paid for by United Airlines. Once again, I must write about a problem with Aetna. I have the United Airlines secondary coverage with them. The company sent them all the info about me and my wife for this year, but somehow Aetna lost my wife, so she wasn’t shown as covered. It took days and many phone calls, first to Aetna customer service, then to United’s Your Benefit Resource (which is Hewitt), who verified her coverage, then two conference calls back to Aetna. Finally, after a week of this, Aetna showed her as covered. I wish I could bill that company for all the hours I waste on them every year since United switched. I know BlueCross Blue Shield wasn’t any better. If any of you have similar problems, don’t give up. Keep at it until they straighten it out. Welcome to the following new members: Capt Jon Dueck (SFO) Littleton, CO Capt Steve Lerum (LAX) Solana Beach, CA Capt Jim Prier (ORD) Dayton, OH Capt William Rogalski (SFO) Meadow Vista, CA Capt Danny Cerna (SFO) Dixon, CA Capt Larry Farnsworth (SFO) Florence, OR Capt David Witter (SFO) Novato, CA Capt Charles Barnett (EWR) Bayport, NY Capt Randy Slightam (SFO) Discovery Bay, CA Capt Tom Killion (DCA) Port Yarmouth, MA Capt Larry Lumpkin (DEN) Elkhorn, NE Capt Rob Reed (EWR) Virginia Beach, VA Capt Abbas Reza (EWR) Medford, NJ Capt Ross Miller (IAH) Point Blank, TX Capt Mark Coil (ORD) Gig Harbor, W Capt Sandy Heely, Jr. (DEN) Auburn, AL Capt Gary Hrobuchak (DCA) Richmond, VA Capt Sal Salazar (ORD) Owasso, OK Capt Keltie Morris (SFO) San Francisco, CA Capt Herb Fischer (IAD) Gamaliel, AR Capt Gregory White (?) Mercersburg, PA And another special welcome to United Flight Attendant Trudy Engeldinger (SFOSW) Rocklin, CA There were a number of other new membership applications without their dues payment, and they haven’t been mentioned here. Once their dues are in, they’re considered members. Our most excellent Secretary/Treasurer, Captain John Rains, has explained to me how much easier his workload is with the increasing number of members who are paying on line with a credit card. For a number of reasons, it makes keeping the books way easier, so I’m making a request to all of you to please go to www.rupa.org and pay your dues there. You can even select an annual, recurring payment so you don’t have to worry about remembering to do it each year in your birth month. ‘Nuff said. That’s all from sunny South Florida. Bob February, 2019 RUPANEWS 3 Vice President’s Letter I trust the RUPA Nation had a wonderful holiday which was full of cheer and laughter. It was an immensely fun time for my wife and me as we traveled the nation in the last month with stops in NYC, San Diego and lastly Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. I am happy to report that the college football team I support, the Ohio State Buckeyes, pulled out a victory in the Rose Bowl against those tremendously talented Washington Huskies. And so, it is with great sadness that I also must add my condolences for the loss of our long time RUPA member, Leon Scarbrough. Leon was a longtime friend of Cort de Peyster. Cort and Leon met each other as new hire classmates with United Airlines. Their friendship transcends time as many others within the RUPA organization, United Airlines and his longtime friends in Sonoma, CA. He will be dearly missed. Cort will have more to say about this in a separate article. I am happy to report that the new employeeRes system is rolling out very well. It may take a while to familiarize yourself with the intricacies, but it does seem to be an improvement. United announced the largest ever international network expansion from SFO. We even have flights to Tahiti. They also strengthened a flying partnership in a contract with ExpressJet. They will operate 25 Embraer 175-SC jets to support our network.