U.S. Pilots Want Fair Skies

Capt. Lee Moak called on U.S. government leaders to take new action to ensure that existing and future U.S. Open Skies agreements and other U.S. policies give U.S. airline industry workers a fair opportunity to compete in the global marketplace. The call came yesterday in an address before the International Aviation Club of Washington, D.C. Watch the video.

“Every ALPA pilot shares my concern today regarding Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Through the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations, ALPA has offered any and all assistance we can provide to the crew’s colleagues and to the investigation,” said Capt. Moak in opening his address. “At the same time that ALPA works to advance the highest standards of safety, it is our responsibility to ensure that the U.S. airline industry is economically strong and competitive.”

Read more from ALPA’s press release.

ALPA 101: Fiduciary Responsibilities

ALPA’s annual Secretary-Treasurers’ Conference kicked off today with presentations designed to help ALPA’s financial and administrative gatekeepers honor their fiduciary responsibilities. Over the next two and a half days, secretary-treasurers from 14 pilot groups will learn about the many resources ALPA makes available and practices to make their jobs more efficient and manageable.

This important training, coming quickly on the heels of ALPA’s Leadership Training Conference held in February, is just another way that sets ALPA apart in its mission to fully equip elected pilot representatives as they begin their important roles within the union.

Read more about the conference.

ALPA and Emirates Find Common Ground

Today Emirates President Tim Clark concurred with statements made by ALPA regarding a potential Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance facility at Dubai International Airport. According to the Wall Street Journal, Clark thinks that “the long-term solution to prolonged wait times at U.S. airports would be an improvement in staff and systems by U.S. authorities at domestic Customs posts, not facilities elsewhere [a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance facility at Dubai International Airport]. ‘Surely that’s the way,’ he said.”

Clark explained that establishing a CBP preclearance facility in Dubai would create a “logistical nightmare” that would “create a far larger logistical challenge” than existing U.S. CBP preclearance facilities in locations such as Canada, Ireland, and the Caribbean.

Read more about the CBP preclearance facility.

L-R: Darrel Cox, Marcin Kolodziejczyk, Jacob Clymo and Nick Toon

Mesa MEC Reelects Officers

On Monday, March 10, the Mesa Air Group Master Executive Council (MEC) reelected the current slate of officers for the next term. F/O Marcin Kolodziejczyk and F/O Jacob Clymo will continue to serve as chairman and vice chairman respectively. The office of secretary-treasurer was split into two positions with F/O Nick Toon elected secretary and Capt. Darrell Cox as treasurer. F/O Robert Moore was appointed as executive administrator.

This election is especially important as the pilot group is in its third year of negotiations, and the fee-for-departure segment of the industry is experiencing turbulence. In addition, Mesa management recently announced that the company is getting new, larger aircraft in the near future, which will need to be incorporated into the current fleet. The newly reelected MEC officers will serve through March 2016.

View photos from the event.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Mesa MEC Holds Family Awareness Event

On Saturday, March 8, nearly 100 Mesa pilots and their families gathered at Camelback Ranch in Phoenix to watch the Arizona Diamondbacks take on the Chicago White Sox in a spring training exhibition game. Inside a number of suites surrounding the field, families watched the game and enjoyed a day out from the MEC. Chicago White Sox players stopped by to sign autographs and greet the kids. Pilot negotiators were also on hand to answer questions.

This is one of the many events planned as the pilots and management continue in negotiations, which have been ongoing since 2011. Mesa captains are still working under Contract 2003 pay rates, while first officers got a minute raise in 2010. Meanwhile, the company recently announced they are bringing new, larger aircraft onto the property and adding at least 20 pilots every month. As negotiations drag, the pilots are calling on management to come to the table ready to “play ball.”

ALPA Concurs with 14-Year Prison Sentence for Laser Attack on Aircraft

Yesterday, the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) issued a statement after a U.S. District Court sentenced Sergio Patrick Rodriguez, 26, of Clovis, Calif. to 14 years in prison for aiming a laser pointer at a Fresno police helicopter during flight. The helicopter “Air 1” was investigating the apartment complex where Rodriguez and his accomplice, Jennifer Lorraine Coleman, 23, resided following the report of laser strikes on an emergency transport helicopter for Children’s Hospital of Central California. Rodriguez and Coleman were both convicted by a federal jury after a three–day trial in Fresno in December 2013.

Read more on this topic in this month’s Air Line Pilot | Read ALPA’s press release