Sleep Apnea Update Uncomfortable Yet? The Norwegian Scheme Page 22 Page 5 Page 20 Read What 3 Pilots Have to Say About Leveling the Playing Field Page 7 Follow us on Twitter @wearealpa PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. PRINTED IN February 2014 Air Line Pilot 1 Sponsored Airline- Career Track ATP offers the airline pilot career training solution with a career track from zero time to 1500 hours sponsored by ATP’s airline alliances. Airline Career Demand for airline pilots and ATP graduates is soaring, with month FAST TRACK the “1500 hour rule” and retirements at the majors. Pilot Program Airlines have selected ATP as a preferred training provider AIRLINES to build their pilot pipelines with the best training in the fastest time frame possible. Private, Instrument, Airline conditional offer of employment In the Airline Career Pilot Program, your airline interview Commercial Multi & CFIs at commercial phase of training, takes place during the commercial phase of training. based on building flight experience 100 Hours Multi-Engine Successful applicants will receive a conditional offer to 1500 hours in your guaranteed Experience of employment from one or more of ATP’s airline CFI job. See website for participating alliances, plus a guaranteed instructor job with ATP or Guaranteed Flight Instructor Job airlines, admissions, eligibility, and a designated flight school to build flight experience. performance requirements. Only ATP gives you this level of confidence in your flight training $64,995 investment. Financing Available Quick Online Financing Application Students and cosigners can pre-qualify for fi nancing with no obligation. Intro Training Flight ATPFlightSchool.com/apply Learn why ATP is your pilot career solution and NEW LOCATIONS – get started with an intro training flight! PORTLAND, OR & SEATTLE, WA ATPFlightSchool.com/intro 2 Air Line Pilot February 2014 All prices offered through February 28, 2014. Check ATPFlightSchool.com for details. 2014-02-ATP-ALPA-FP.indd 1 12/31/13 11:07 AM Sponsored Airline- Career Track February 2014 • Volume 83, Number 2 ATP offers the airline pilot career training solution with a career track from zero time to 1500 hours sponsored by ATP’s airline alliances. 28 COMMENTARY 5 Aviation Matters 20 Uncomfortable Yet? About the Cover A United B-787 crew prepares for 6 Taking Off 30 Health Watch a Denver-to-Narita Another Chapter DEPARTMENTS Do You Want to Quit flight. Photo by Capt. Smoking? Angelo Bufalino 7 Pilot Commentary 9 Preflight (FedEx Express). Competing on a Level Facts, Figures, 32 Our Stories Download a QR Playing Field reader to your smartphone, scan and Info Bidding Farewell: Delta the code, and read the magazine. Pilots Complete FEATURES Air Line Pilot (ISSN 0002-242X) is pub lished 26 ALPA@Work Final U.S. Flight Securing monthly by the Air Line Pilots Association, Airline Career 20 Norwegian of DC-9s Inter national, affiliated with AFL-CIO, the Skies: CLC. Editorial Offices: 535 Herndon Demand for airline pilots and ATP graduates is soaring, with month Air’s Evasive Communicating with Parkway, PO Box 1169, Herndon, VA Pilot Program FAST TRACK 35 Recently Retired 20172-1169. Telephone: 703-481-4460. the “1500 hour rule” and retirements at the majors. Scheme Industry to Anticipate, Fax: 703-464-2114. Copyright © 2014—Air See Who’s on the List Line Pilots Association, Inter national, all Airlines have selected ATP as a preferred training provider Threatens Neutralize Threat rights reserved. Publica tion in any form AIRLINES 36 The Landing without permission is prohibited. Air Line to build their pilot pipelines with the best training in the fastest Every U.S. 28 ALPA Toolbox Pilot and the ALPA logo Reg. U.S. Pat. More than a Millennium and T.M. Office. Federal I.D. 36-0710830. time frame possible. Private, Instrument, Airline conditional offer of employment Airline Pilot Business Travel Periodicals postage paid at Herndon, VA Expenses for 2013: 38 We Are ALPA 20172, and additional offices. In the Airline Career Pilot Program, your airline interview Commercial Multi & CFIs at commercial phase of training, Postmaster: Send address changes to 22 What You How Much Can You ALPA Resources and takes place during the commercial phase of training. based on building flight experience Air Line Pilot, PO Box 1169, Herndon, VA 100 Hours Multi-Engine REALLY Need Deduct? Contact Numbers 20172-1169. Successful applicants will receive a conditional offer to 1500 hours in your guaranteed Canadian Publications Mail Agreement Experience to Know About 23 #40620579: Return undeliverable maga- of employment from one or more of ATP’s airline CFI job. See website for participating zines sent to Canadian addresses to 2835 Sleep Apnea Kew Drive, Windsor, ON, Canada N8T 3B7. alliances, plus a guaranteed instructor job with ATP or Guaranteed Flight Instructor Job airlines, admissions, eligibility, and a designated flight school to build flight experience. 23 Flying performance requirements. Only ATP gives you this level of the New Rule: confidence in your flight training $64,995 How Air investment. Financing Available Wisconsin Prepared Quick Online Its Pilots Financing Application 24 In Their Students and cosigners can pre-qualify for Own Words: fi nancing with no obligation. The Tuskegee Intro Training Flight ATPFlightSchool.com/apply Airmen Learn why ATP is your pilot career solution and NEW LOCATIONS – get started with an intro training flight! PORTLAND, OR & SEATTLE, WA 36 ATPFlightSchool.com/intro February 2014 Air Line Pilot 3 All prices offered through February 28, 2014. Check ATPFlightSchool.com for details. 2014-02-ATP-ALPA-FP.indd 1 12/31/13 11:07 AM CALL FOR APPLICATIONS AL PA ’S STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ach year the Association sponsors four $3,000 students who meet the eligibility requirement and who wish to scholarships that are available to the dependent pursue a college education to apply for the annual award. children of medically retired, long-term disabled, Applications may be obtained from Lee Alger, Air Line E or deceased ALPA members. The vice president– Pilots Association, 1625 Massachusetts Avenue, N. W., administration/secretary and vice president–finance/ Washington, D.C. 20036, and must be received no later than treasurer review all applications, select the recipient, and April 1, 2014. report to the Executive Council on their selection. One Additionally, we would like to bring to your attention that, scholarship is granted to an enrolling college freshman and on several occasions, contributions have been made to the ALPA is renewable for three additional years, provided the student Scholarship Fund in memory of a deceased member, or simply maintains an adequate grade point average, and, under that as a kind gesture on the part of a member to further the proviso, three scholarship renewals are made to a sophomore, financial assistance by the Association to a student. In the past, junior, and senior. depending on the amount available, All applications received are these funds have been used to augment carefully reviewed with serious the awards of current recipients or as consideration given to financial need, a one-time financial assistance award as well as academic performance, to a needy applicant. We ask that you before a selection is made. At the forward this information to your master time new applications are reviewed, executive council in case anyone wants the academic records of those to make a voluntary contribution to this currently enrolled college students separate fund. are also reviewed to determine their eligibility to receive renewals of their Sincerely, scholarships. We want to remind you of this educational assistance Capt. Randy Helling program and to urge you Vice President–Finance/ to encourage those Treasurer 4 Air Line Pilot February 2014 AviationMatters Uncomfortable Yet? When he returned to Apple, Steve Jobs is purported to have It’s our job—at the negotiating created ad copy about change makers, whom he described by table, in the courtroom, during an saying, “You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or accident investigation, and in the vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.” midst of FAR rule changes. It’s our There’s no question that those who seek to change the status job to protect our profession and our industry. Interestingly enough, quo make people uncomfortable. a representative of a foreign carrier saw this clearly when, in January, I attended a panel discussion recently referred to us as “protec- I that included an ALPA staffer—a subject-matter expert on tionist.” And you know what? He’s U.S. government policy. ALPA seized the opportunity to lay out damn right. a powerful argument as the moderator moved the discussion Now does this mean we are unwilling to compromise? to one of ALPA’s cornerstone issues: the dire negative conse- Absolutely not. ALPA has been able to achieve important prog- quences of allowing U.S. policy to continue to bend in the favor ress in areas such as reforming the Export-Import Bank’s lend- of already well-financed foreign carriers while treating U.S. ing practices and ensuring that Fly America flying is performed airlines as a bottomless bank account. by U.S. airlines because we are unwilling to let perfect be the It was a softball opportunity to outline ALPA’s position on enemy of good. And when we don’t get a complete win, we leveling the playing field. Many pilots and staff could recite go back to work the next day for the rest, continuing our pilot- the main points flawlessly if called upon. What was interest- partisan mission. ing—and something I had not yet observed in this typically The U.S. airline industry is first in its class. But we’re losing amicable airline industry forum—was ground. The international market share that has for decades that another panelist seated with our belonged to U.S.