April 29, 2005—In this issue:

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Hawaiian Airlines pilots and management reached a revised tentative agreement for a new contract, MEC chairman, Capt. Kirk McBride, announced on April 28. The first tentative agreement with management was voted down by pilots on March 26. The revised agreement now goes to the pilot group for a ratification vote that will be completed on May 10.

"Like all airline employees, our pilots have worked and sacrificed a great deal to get to where we are today. We believe this new pact answers many of the questions our members had with the previous tentative agreement," Capt. McBride said. "We believe they will be pleased with this new agreement," he added.

The revised TA improves certain items that pilots had indicated were not satisfactory in the first TA. The revised TA provides that the company will contribute 17 percent of pilot pay to establish a "backup" defined contribution plan on January 1, 2008 and the current DB plan will be frozen at the same time if the parties cannot successfully negotiate a new follow-on plan by then. Caps on pilot contributions for medical plan coverage were also improved in the revised TA. The revised TA continues the "grandfathering" of pilots who are 50 or older in the existing DB plan.

Completion of the pilot collective bargaining agreement is the last step for the airline to complete prior to the company's exit from bankruptcy. If the contract is ratified it will avoid the need for a bankruptcy judge to rule on management's request for 1113 relief under the bankruptcy code that ALPA and the Company litigated a few weeks ago.

Headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaiian is the nation's 12th-largest carrier, with 135 daily flights and 300 pilots who operate a fleet of B-717s and B-767s.

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Piedmont pilots, on April 28, signed a memorandum of understanding with management and the FAA at Piedmont's corporate headquarters instituting an Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). Pilot representatives and management had met on numerous occasions in preparing for the ASAP, openly discussing the details of the program and how it would be implemented.

"ASAP is an excellent way for our pilots and management to work together to improve our carrier's operational safety," said Capt. Calvin Dilks, Piedmont MEC chairman.

ASAP is a voluntary, non-punitive, reporting system of safety-related issues and events that provides a means of collecting information to make safety improvements. An employee is offered certain protections in exchange for voluntarily reporting safety concerns or events that result from safety deficiencies, even though they may involve an alleged violation of federal aviation regulations.

A review panel, which includes a pilot union representative, a member of Piedmont management, and a representative of the FAA, reviews and tracks each ASAP submission, determines if it meets the program's criteria, compares the filing to previous reports, and makes recommendations to company management based on its findings.

"Obviously, we have high expectations for this program," added Capt. Dilks. "We hope that it will serve as an example of how labor and management can work together to solve problems, and that this spirit will carry over into other aspects of our operation."

Piedmont is a wholly owned subsidiary of US Airways and operates a fleet of 61 aircraft, including 50-seat Bombardier Dash 8-300s and 37-seat Dash 8-100 and -200 series turboprops.

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ALPA has posted on https://crewroom.alpa.org a legislative Action Alert urging U.S.-ALPA members to contact their congressional representatives to support pension legislation recently introduced into the Senate. Although the two critically important, ALPA-supported pension bills relate directly to those ALPA members who are part of a defined-benefit pension plan, all ALPA members are encouraged to participate in the Action Alert as part of the "airline pilot community."

Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) introduced S.861, The Employee Pension Preservation Act of 2005, on April 20. This legislation would allow an airline to amortize its unfunded defined-benefit pension liabilities over a period of 25 years if that airline agrees through collective bargaining to limit its pension liabilities by freezing its plan or committing to funding any new benefits in the year that they accrue. In addition, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's liability would be frozen as of the date the plan begins using this new approach. This pension funding reform is essential for ALPA members who still have defined-benefit pension plans.

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) introduced S.685, The Pilots Equitable Treatment Act, on March 17. This legislation would change the PBGC rules so that pilots who must stop flying at age 60 would not have their benefits actuarially reduced by the PBGC in a terminated plan. Under current law, pilots are penalized by receiving reduced benefits because they must retire at 60, instead of the PBGC's "normal" retirement age of 65. S.685 would eliminate this penalty by allowing pilots-at age 60-to receive benefit guarantees calculated as though they already had reached age 65. This legislation could potentially affect any pilot with a defined-benefit pension plan.

ALPA, representing all AFL-CIO airline unions, has been working with the managements of several affected airlines for many months to develop this pension-funding reform proposal, and has led the initiative on S.685. ALPA members can now help generate maximum congressional support for these bills by contacting their Senators today to urge them to co-sponsor these bills and work for their speedy passage. ALPA's Government Affairs Department staff is also working with congressional allies in the House of Representatives to get similar measures introduced in that chamber.

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A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report, released on April 29, is the "latest evidence of the growing threat that volcanic ash poses to aviation, and underscores the urgent need to fully fund the National Volcano Early Warning System," declared Capt. Terry McVenes, ALPA's Executive Air Safety Chairman. The USGS report, Framework for a National Volcano Early Warning System (www.usgs.gov/newsroom), was released at a Capitol Hill briefing that included Capt. Ed Miller, leader of ALPA's Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety Project, among the presenters.

The report highlights volcanoes in U.S.-controlled airspace that are currently under-monitored and could pose a serious threat to aviation, including Mts. Pagan, Agrigan, Alamagan, Guguan, and Asuncion in the Mariana Islands; Mts. Vsevldof and Kiska in Alaska; Mono Craters in California; Crater Lake in Oregon; and Glacier Peak in Washington.

"You wouldn't sail rough seas without a life preserver," said Capt. Miller. "We shouldn't ignore volcanoes that we know are dangerously under-monitored."

Of particular concern to ALPA are the active volcanoes in the Marianas Islands, a U.S. territory located in the North Pacific Ocean, which USGS reports pose a significant threat to aviation. Only two of the volcanoes have some ground-based, real-time monitoring, and six have no ground-based monitoring at all. The Marianas fall in the path of many U.S. flights bound for Hong Kong and Manila.

"One flight crosses over the Marianas Islands roughly every 22 minutes," said Capt. Miller. "With so much at risk, the USGS needs to be equipped to conduct full monitoring of the Marianas volcanoes to protect the thousands of travelers flying across the Pacific."

"The five-minute warning that pilots received during the Mount St. Helens eruption in 2004 proved that the USGS system works," continued Capt. McVenes. "That's the kind of warning system pilots need for every volcano, and it can only happen through the USGS monitoring program."

"The North Pacific averages five or six eruptions each year, with volcanic ash falling close enough to flight routes to become an aviation safety concern on as many as 12 days a year," continued Capt. Miller.

With the growing number of passengers choosing to travel by air, and the increasing number and density of flights passing near active volcanoes, ALPA strongly advocates that to protect passengers, crew and cargo:

• Congress must fund the USGS National Volcano Early Warning System. This system would ensure that Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers-satellite-based and ground based systems for detecting eruptions-are enhanced.
• SGS should have the capability to implement the "5-minute" warning, which is designed to alert air traffic control centers of an ash-producing eruption within five minutes of the start of the eruptive event. The 5-minute warning is essential, as an ash cloud can take only 5 minutes to reach flight level altitudes above 20,000 feet, aircraft can approach at rates of 5 miles per minute (300 miles per hour), and pilots need time to divert and avoid the cloud.

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In a notice to all airmen, the TSA announced that the agency is extending the CASS Pilot Program for an additional 90 days. All currently issued alternate procedures to SD 1544-01-10 series section 5.E, or SD 1544-03-04 section IV, with an expiration date of April 30, 2005, will now expire on July 29, 2005.

The TSA says pilots should contact their PSI if they have any questions about this notice.

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The FAA Age 60 Rule Survey closed at 10 a.m. ET on Friday, April 29, 2005. The survey was open to every U.S. and Canadian member in good standing--including "Active" (AC), "Executive Active" (EA), and "Grievance Pending" (GP) members.

The top 10 pilot groups participating by percentage of response rate were:

Kitty Hawk - 58.39 percent
United - 51.05 percent
FedEx - 50.87 percent
America West - 49.38 percent
ASTAR - 47.49 percent
Alaska - 45.55 percent
Delta - 44.86 percent
Northwest - 44.64 percent
ATA - 44.36 percent
Continental - 42.70 percent

For additional information on the Age 60 Rule, ALPA's policy on the rule, and many other issues related to this important subject, log in to Crewroom.alpa.org and click on the 'In Focus' logo under 'Spotlight'.

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The Airbus A380 flew its first test flight successfully in Toulouse, France on April 27, generating worldwide media coverage. The A380 is designed to carry over 800 passengers (in certain configurations) and supersedes Boeing's 747 as the largest airliner to have flown.

Two years ago, ALPA's Air Safety Committee formed a team of ALPA members, including two from FDX, the US launch customer for the A380. That team has been engaged in dialogue with Airbus and FAA throughout the recent phases of the aircraft's development to address safety and operational areas of interest to our membership. ALPA's team continues to monitor various ground and inflight operational issues such as ease of aerodrome movement, minimum safe runway widths and wake turbulence. The ALPA team is also communicating with the FAA in the U.S. to ensure our views on safety issues such as evacuation capability, unique certification conditions, wake turbulence separation, and ARFF considerations are fully understood and are being addressed prior to the A380's introduction into service.

ALPA's first vice president, Capt. Dennis Dolan was recently reelected as President of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Association (IFALPA). Capt. Dolan will continue to work directly with ICAO as a member of IFALPA to develop international standards and practices that will govern the operation of the A380.

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Entries to ALPA's 2005 Photo Contest must be postmarked or e-mailed by April 30 to be eligible for judging. Entries may be photographs (minimum 3x5 inches); digital on CD (jpg, jpeg, tif, or PC format at highest resolution possible), e-mailed digital at highest resolution you can send (some ISPs do not allow files larger than 3 meg to be sent); or transparencies (no smaller than 35 mm film).

The following information should accompany each individual image submitted: file name (for electronic submissions); subject or topic-including names of individuals who appear in the image; photographer's name and contact information; date and year image was taken; where the image was taken; and when possible, camera settings, make, and model.

All submitted entries must include a signed release from the copyright-holding authority (owner) that gives ALPA limited reproduction rights. Photos submitted to the contest may be used in ALPA's paper and electronic publications without payment to the photographer.

Submissions may be mailed to Air Line Pilots Association, ATT: Communications Photo Contest, 535 Herndon Parkway, Herndon, VA 20170; or E-mailed to publishing@alpa.org.

Contest winners will be announced in an upcoming Air Line Pilot and on the ALPA members-only website, https://crewroom.alpa.org. The Grand Prize winner will be determined with an ALPA-member online vote in summer 2005. For additional details, see Air Line Pilot, February, pages 32-33, or go to https://crewroom.alpa.org.

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ALPA International is sponsoring a 3-day Air, Inc., job fair and employment seminar in Miami, Fla., at the Radisson Hotel Miami on June 18. Representatives from more than 15 airlines will participate in the job fair.

The program will be conducted by AIR, Inc. (Aviation Information Resources, Inc.), an Atlanta-based company that specializes in helping pilots make informed decisions in their job search and assists in developing their careers as airline pilots.

AIR, Inc. provides timely employment information as well as products and services that help pilots plan their job search, understand the hiring process, and effectively market themselves.

To register, call 1-800-JET-JOBS (538-5627). Registration deadline is June 13. Additional information, including ALPA discounted fees and the daily schedule, is available at crewroom.alpa.org under the "Member Benefits" tab.

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Questions? Comments? Give us your feedback at communications@alpa.org. Remember ALPA when you change your ISP or your e-mail address. If you don't, you will no longer receive the ALPA FastRead and other e-mail bulletins and notices. To update your e-mail address, go to https://crewroom.alpa.org and log in. Go to "My ALPA" on the left side of the page, and from there, you'll be instructed how to make the necessary changes.

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