January/February 2012 Official Journal of the Air
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 n OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION, INTERNATIONAL January/February 2012 Air Line Pilot 1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 • VolUmE 81, NUmBER 1 COMMENTARY SPECIAL SECTION 4 Aviation matters Everything Matters 6 Take Note Survey Says: Get Involved! 7 Guest Commentary Working Together to Succeed FEATURES 16 FAA Flight-Time/ 19 Intro 37 Delta Duty-Time Final 20 AirTran 38 Evergreen Rule: Good News, 21 Air Transat 39 ExpressJet About the Cover Bad News The cover montage show- 22 Air Transport 40 FedEx Express cases the diversity of ALPA’s pilot DEPARTMENTS International 41 First Air groups. Profiles of 23 Air Wisconsin all of ALPA’s pilot 42 Hawaiian groups begin on 8 Preflight 24 Alaska 43 Island Air page 19. To view Facts, Figures, and Info 25 American Eagle 44 Jazz a page-turning 26 ASTAR Air Cargo version of this 45 Kelowna Flightcraft issue, scan the QR 27 Atlantic Southeast 46 mesa code with your 28 Bearskin 47 North American smartphone. 29 Calm Air New to this technology? 48 Piedmont Download a QR reader to your 30 Canadian North 49 Pinnacle smartphone, scan the code, 31 CanJet and read the magazine. 57 ALPA@Work 50 PSA ALPA ASAP Symposium 32 Capital Cargo 51 Ryan Air Line Pilot (ISSN 0002-242X) is pub lished monthly, except for the combined January/ 33 Comair 52 Spirit February and June/July issues, by the Air 59 Health Watch 34 CommutAir Line Pilots Association, Inter national, affili- Visual Acuity and the 53 Sun Country ated with AFL-CIO, CLC. Editorial Offices: 535 Herndon Parkway, PO Box 1169, Physiology of Vision 35 Compass 54 Trans States Herndon, VA 20172-1169. Telephone: 703- 481-4460. Fax: 703-464-2114. Copyright 36 Continental 55 United © 2012—Air Line Pilots Association, 61 The landing Inter national, all rights reserved. Publica- What Does 900 Years Mean 56 Wasaya tion in any form without permission is to You? prohibited. Air Line Pilot and the ALPA logo Reg. U.S. Pat. and T.M. Office. Federal I.D. 36-0710830. Periodicals postage paid at 62 We Are ALPA Herndon, VA 20172, and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to ALPA Resources and Air Line Pilot, PO Box 1169, Herndon, VA Contact Numbers 20172-1169. Canadian Publications mail Agreement #40620579: Return undeliverable maga- zines sent to Canadian addresses to 2835 Kew Drive, Windsor, ON, Canada N8T 3B7. 39 AviationMatters Everything matters While ALPA continues to pursue high standards for safety, ver the past 80 years, the airline pilot labor movement pay, and working conditions, the complexity of these issues has faced many obstacles. The 24 “key men” who has increased significantly and new ones have arisen. Some of Oformed the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l were labeled our current obstacles include overintrusive government regula- troublemakers and considered such a threat to their respective tions and taxation, oil price volatility and speculation, and the managements that they had to use code names and meet in structure of what can best be described as a hypercompetitive secret to avoid being terminated. Our international marketplace. These issues might seem like “com- union’s founders came from different pany issues,” but in reality they are pilot issues. airlines, but it didn’t take them long to Here’s why: At the end of the day, the careers and futures of realize that by banding together they airline pilots are inextricably tied to the airlines they work for. could advance the profession. Unlike employees in other fields, airline pilots not only work In the early days, the pay was lousy, for an airline, their livelihoods are often tied to that airline. In and to say that the working conditions essence, we are the airline. And as such, it is ALPA’s responsibil- were dangerous would be a gross ity to not only be aware of potential issues and pitfalls, but also understatement. Pilot pushing was the to be completely engaged in the process to positively affect any standard, and a pilot who erred on the aspect of our members’ careers. side of safety (which literally meant living to fly another day) So let’s take a broad look at some of our initiatives for was labeled a malcontent and simply fired without recourse. this year. Fast-forward eight decades—2012. We have endured the shortsighted and poorly executed deregu- lation of our industry in 1978, suffered the attacks of 9/11, been a witness to or a victim of dozens of bankruptcies, and participated in court restructurings. Let’s not also forget the consolidation that we find ourselves in right now. The year has just begun, and your union continues to move forward on a number of 2012 Initiatives strategic priorities. We have a full agenda that includes some daunting challenges, but I’m excited and energized about the • Significant support for contract negotiations work that we, collectively, are undertaking. We—the members and staff of the Air Line • FT/DT for all Pilots Association, Int’l—are leading a revital- ized labor movement in the airline industry to reauthorization bill with complete funding hurdle these obstacles and capitalize on the • FAA opportunities before us. ALPA brings to this for NextGen programs movement focus, determination, and a strong, unified voice for all airline pilots in the United • Reduce burden of airline taxes States and Canada. Several fundamentals guide us on the job. I’d like to highlight two of them: 1) While we follow • Reform aviation financing at Ex-Im Bank a flight plan, we must be able to adapt to any given situation whether it’s external or internal, • Connecting with members to support their goals and 2) Everything matters—weather, destination, the passengers and our fellow crewmembers, our More to come in future Issues training, and our individual approaches to our of Air Line Pilot. job. These two principles are also central to our successfully carrying out all of our strategic union initiatives today and in the future. 4 Air Line Pilot January/February 2012 More than 15 ALPA pilot groups are in negotiations in 2012. Several mergers—specifically United-Continental and Atlantic s we enter 2012 and beyond, it Southeast-ExpressJet—require extraordinary support and com- is clear that if we are to succeed mitment by all involved to achieve successful joint collective in carrying out our strategic plan, bargaining agreements. Making sure that these mergers go A we must keep in mind that everything smoothly is a key priority for me and the Association. Another matters. Legislation and regulations, the two of our largest pilot groups—Delta and FedEx Express—are scheduled to enter Section 6 negotiations this year and early economy, fuel, technology, the actions of next year. In addition, American Eagle, ALPA’s sixth largest pilot our governments and those of foreign group, will be negotiating as its airline goes through Chapter 11 governments, politics, airline operations bankruptcy proceedings. Significant financial and professional and management business decisions, resources are available to all ALPA pilot groups as they work global events—all matter because they through the bargaining process. may have an impact on our profession, Safety has always been a cornerstone of ALPA. Today, we our industry, our livelihoods. continue to advocate for NextGen funding and implementa- tion, consistent international standards for pilot training, safe transportation of hazardous materials, mandatory Safety its proposal for leveling the playing field, which will include a Management Systems, and Fatigue Risk Management Systems. call for Congress to require transparency and job impact studies This past December, ALPA scored a major victory when the in connection with the Ex-Im Bank’s financing decisions. U.S. government finally published a final rule on flight-time/ As you read through the pilot group profiles in this issue, you’ll duty-time regulations that will implement much-needed and be amazed at the hard work and commitment of our members long-awaited safety improvements over the next two years and the aggressive goals set forth for this year. In order to ensure for passenger airlines. The new rule is a significant improve- success, I’ve asked for an internal check on our approach to ment over the antiquated rules established three decades member support, involvement, and communications. Therefore, ago. However, to our utter dismay, cargo operations were not get ready to participate in more polling and surveys so that we included in the new fatigue rule—a reprehensible omission. can hear from you what you need from your union. Since its inception, ALPA has advocated for One Level of Safety As we enter 2012 and beyond, it is clear that if we are to 2012 Initiatives for the simple reason that fatigue affects all pilots, regardless of succeed in carrying out our strategic plan, we must keep in what they fly or who they fly for. ALPA is working diligently to mind that everything matters. Legislation and regulations, the pursue every sensible opportunity to amend the flight-time/ economy, fuel, technology, the actions of our governments and • Significant support for contract negotiations duty-time rules to include cargo pilots. those of foreign governments, politics, airline operations and From an economic perspective, our industry continues to be management business decisions, global events—all matter • FT/DT for all heavily regulated and overtaxed in what is supposed to be because they may have an impact on our profession, our indus- a “deregulated” environment. Today, the airline industry leads try, our livelihoods. reauthorization bill with complete funding all others in America with 17 unique federal taxes and fees. When the Board of Directors meets this October, we will • FAA For instance, if you spend $500 on an airplane ticket, more assess our progress in carrying out the Association’s strategic for NextGen programs than $100 of it will be funn eled to the federal government plan; evaluate the current and future airline industry environ- in the form of fees and taxes.