Pilot Commentary: Veterans Affairs Committee and Furloughed Pilots Support Program


Editor’s note: ALPA’s Membership Committee, which serves all of the Association’s members, includes two programs that focus on furloughed pilots and those transitioning from the military and in the military reserves. The following is an update on the activities of these two groups.

Veterans Affairs Committee

By F/O David Pond (United), Chairman, Veterans Affairs Committee

In honor of Veterans Day and Remembrance Day, I’d like to personally thank all of our U.S. and Canadian military service members for the sacrifices they’ve made to protect and defend our way of life. We are forever grateful for their selfless service to our nations.

When the time comes for a military pilot to transition to a civilian career, ALPA stands ready to offer assistance. As a retired U.S. Air Force veteran with 29 years of active and reserve service, I know that the move from military to airline pilot can be difficult. As chairman of ALPA’s Veterans Affairs Committee, I and the other committee members work to make the transition as smooth as possible for our fellow ALPA members by providing assistance and support.

Regardless of service background, the one thing that all military veterans can relate to is chain of command. One of the biggest challenges for a military pilot transitioning to airline flying is recognizing that the chain of command within ALPA is significantly different. For example, the proper protocol for reporting issues is very different. While working directly with a chief pilot or other company official might seem logical in the chain of command, this action could unintentionally work against the pilot and fellow members.

The committee is here to provide guidance on this and other areas, including how company scheduling works, how to bid a line, how to track flight hours, and how crew rest requirements are determined.

The bulk of our work focuses on developing transition resources to help ALPA members in both the United States and Canada who have current and prior military service. To this end, we’ve taken a guide created by the United Master Executive Council that United pilots have found useful and developed a generic transition document to help all ALPA members.

By reaching out and connecting with veterans before they take an airline job and as they start their new careers, we can explain the benefits and importance of ALPA, help guide them through the transition process, and welcome them into our union.

Furloughed Pilots Support Program

By F/O Drew Everett (Hawaiian), Coordinator, Furloughed Pilots Support Program

The airline industry has faced its share of ups and downs, with pilot furloughs spiking in the 1980s after deregulation and again after the terrorist attacks of 9/11—when more than 7,000 ALPA pilots lost their jobs. In 2007, the industry was beginning to show signs of recovery, but with increasing fuel prices and a downturn in the economy during the summer of 2008, the number of furloughed pilots swelled.

In July 2008, Capt. John Prater, then ALPA’s president, created the national Furloughed Pilots Support Program (FPSP) to help ALPA’s furloughed pilots by providing them with the needed resources and information to make informed decisions while working to get back into an ALPA cockpit.

Given our current low furlough numbers, as the FPSP coordinator I felt that it was a good time to reengage, update, and enhance our furlough program so that it’s reenergized for the next time our members need to turn to it. So we’re updating the content, available resources, and contacts information found on the website and giving the site a new look. We’re developing a furlough checklist that will offer guidance, including financial and medical resources, to both ALPA’s U.S. and Canadian members, and creating an adaptable version of the checklist for any affected master executive council—checklists for when a furlough appears likely, when a furlough happens, and for when furlough recalls will take place.

Every member matters—that’s what being in a union is all about. The FPSP stands ready to provide assistance to our furloughed members in order to help get them back on the line, whether that’s through a recall or with another airline.

This article was originally published in the November 2017 issue of Air Line Pilot.

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