First Officers Bill Patterson (top) and Mark Segaloff (bottom)

ALPA Fee-for-Departure Pilots Gather at DENTK for Pilot Open House

Nearly 325 ALPA pilots currently flying for fee-for-departure (FFD) carriers gathered at United Airlines’ Denver Training Center on Wednesday and Thursday to attend the second session of the United MEC-sponsored Fee-for-Departure Pilot Open House. Pilots currently flying for ALPA carriers had the opportunity to sit down one on one with recruiters and personnel from United Airlines to learn what it takes to land a position on a United Airlines flight deck.

Morning and afternoon sessions were held each day to give pilots ample time to sit down with United representatives and discuss their possible future of flying for the airline.

“The United MEC has always advocated for ALPA pilots on the United property,” said United MEC chairman Captain Jay Heppner in an address to the attendees. “We’ve had many observers throughout these sessions from ALPA National and from other airlines. We are hopeful that they, too, will see the real value in these open houses, open to only ALPA pilots, and offer them this opportunity at their airlines as well.

“The United MEC is committed to offering ALPA fee-for-departure pilots the resources you need to secure a United pilot position. The common bond in this room is we are all ALPA pilots. And ALPA pilots take care of each other regardless of the airline you are working for. That is the purpose in working for a union—taking care of each other."

United management has been instrumental in the success of these open houses and has worked closely with First Officer Bill Patterson and First Officer Mark Segaloff, two recent hires at United. Captain Heppner expressed his gratitude toward the company for their assistance in making the open houses a success, and for taking the time to sit down with these FFD pilots to help them learn how to secure employment at the airline.

The FFD Pilot Open Houses have been so successful, First Officers Patterson and Segaloff are working to establish future dates for additional open houses, targeting early 2015. The open house concept may soon extend beyond the United MEC. It is the United MEC’s hope that these events will be duplicated at other large jet ALPA carriers. ALPA representatives from Delta and JetBlue attended this week’s open houses at DENTK to observe.