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News from ALPA International

September 6, 2012

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In This Issue:

IND, STL Added to Known Crewmember


View a photo slideshow of the new checkpoints.

As Indianapolis and St. Louis became the 19th and 20th U.S. airports to embrace the Known Crewmember program yesterday, the impact of the enhanced security system is beginning to take hold, according to pilots who went through the new checkpoints.

Individual pilots are looking forward to seeing their “home” airports open KCM lanes, and pilot groups without KCM access are increasingly expecting their managements to include them.

“I’ve been waiting for this airport to get it for a while,” said one Delta captain who lives in Indianapolis but is based in MSP. “This is great.”

“This is our last day of a four-day trip and we’ve had KCM at every airport we’ve been to,” said a grateful United captain.

Read more.

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Colgan Closes Operations


View a photo slideshow of the
final Colgan Air flight from EWR
.

Sadly, the last Colgan Air flight from Newark Liberty Int’l Airport departed yesterday. The Pinnacle subsidiary ended its operations on Sept. 5, as part of Pinnacle Airlines Corp.’s restructuring plan. These pictures were taken by CommutAir F/O Jeff Guckin.

Colgan has been a proud member of ALPA since 2009, flying express flights for mainline carriers United, US Airways, and Delta. Colgan Airways Corp. was founded in 1965.
 

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Don’t Let the EU Tax U.S. Air Travel

Per yesterday’s ALPA Pilot Partisan Agenda, Pete Sepp with the National Taxpayers Union writes in a piece published on the harmful impact of the EU-ETS on the travelling public:

“Many Americans remain unaware of these new carbon schemes since they’ve mostly stayed on the other side of the pond, but those days are over. The EU’s newest target for taxation is air travel, and officials in Brussels would love nothing more than to collect money from passengers on any flight landing in an EU member country.

“Indeed, the ETS would tax passengers for the entirety of their flight, no matter where it originates.

“While the legality of this policy is questionable, there’s little doubt the effect on American travelers would be harmful . . .”

Read Sepp’s entire column.

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We Need Your Help: Pilot Fatigue Survey
The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations, of which ALPA is a member, needs your help. The Federation is conducting a survey on Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS), the scientifically based, data-driven process for addressing fatigue in flight operations.

As part of its work with the International Civil Aviation Organization, IFALPA is participating in the FRMS Forum and surveying airlines, regulators, members of the scientific community, and pilots of IFALPA member associations to assess the current culture of organizations that could support FRMS implementation. The Federation plans to present its survey results at the forum’s next conference in 2013.

IFALPA president Capt. Don Wykoff (Delta) recently circulated a letter to ALPA and other Federation members stating that he firmly believes FRMS will be a prominent feature of our industry in the future. He stressed that it’s vital that FRMS be introduced properly to advance pilot fatigue management, and that this is our opportunity to help influence international policy on this important issue. Make your voice heard.

Take the survey.

Read ALPA’s white paper on Fatigue Risk Management Systems.

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Catch the Latest Aviation News! Read ALPA Daily
The aviation industry is changing faster than ever before. The new “ALPA Daily” feature at www.alpa.org will keep you informed of the latest industry developments and analysis from around the globe. Check it out each day to stay up-to-date on the news that affects pilots and the piloting profession.

ALPA Daily continues to grow in popularity, and members have contacted us asking if this information can be e-mailed to their Macs and PCs. ALPA’s Communications and IT Departments are working toward that end. If you want to receive the electronic version of ALPA Daily, e-mail your name, ALPA number, and preferred e-mail address to communications@alpa.org. We’ll let you know when you can expect “home” delivery.

• According to statesman.com, Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, will give the keynote address to air cargo industry leaders attending the International Air Cargo Association’s (TIACA) 26th International Air Cargo Forum & Exposition in Atlanta on October 2. Read more.

• Reuters reports that U.S. airlines could place hundreds of orders for new jets on top of their recent wave of purchases—leaving billions of dollars’ worth of orders for U.S. manufacturer Boeing Co and European rival Airbus still to fight over. Read more.

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Stay Connected
Stay connected with your union, your profession, and your industry by reading Air Line Pilot magazine and watching monthly episodes of The FlightDeck.

Read what ALPA’s Economic and Financial Analysis Department has to say about the state of the industry on page 22 of the September issue of Air Line Pilot magazine.

On the 18th installment of The FlightDeck, watch highlights of the 58th Air Safety Forum and the extraordinary pilots honored at this year’s event.

Remember that both Air Line Pilot and The FlightDeck can also be accessed from the members-only portion of the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.

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Union Plus Says Thank You!
Thanks, union members, for all your hard work! In appreciation of your work, Union Plus offers the following perks!

Your exclusive union member deals include:

• Thank a fellow union member or family member this Labor Day with flowers & gifts at a 20 percent discount

Goodyear coupon for tires & service, including United Steelworker (USW) union-made tires

Consumerreports.org subscription discount with a CWA union–organized company

Union-made clothing discounts

$40 in free gas vouchers with a motor club annual subscription—a better deal than AAA for union families

Affordable auto insurance with grants for driver’s education

Entertainment discounts on everything from movies, theme parks, sporting events, and much more

Visit UnionPlus.org for all the benefits and services your union family can take advantage of, starting today!

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2012 Dulles Day Festival and Plane Pull
The Dulles Day Family Festival and Plane Pull at Washington Dulles Int’l Airport celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Be a part of this special tradition, Saturday, Sept. 22, for a full day of fun.

Highlights of this annual Special Olympics Virginia benefit include a team-competition plane pull, aircraft and auto exhibits, displays and activities, vendors, food, and entertainment for all.

Join the fun and support Special Olympics at this annual community event. For details, visit www.planepull.com.

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FastFact
On Sept. 5, 1944, ALPA named its first director for the Association’s new Engineering and Air Safety Department—Ted Linnert. The Engineering and Air Safety Department was created to monitor technical developments in the aircraft industry, work with the Civil Aeronautics Authority on aviation regulations, and investigate aircraft accidents.

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Feedback & E-mail Address Changes
Questions or comments on this FastRead? Give us your feedback at communications@alpa.org.

If you have moved or changed your ISP or e-mail address, please update your ALPA records. If you don’t, you will no longer receive the ALPA FastRead and other e-mail bulletins and notices, and once your postal forwarding order expires, you’ll no longer receive the magazine and other ALPA mail. You can do it yourself by going to www.alpa.org and logging in. Go to “My ALPA” in the menu at the top of the page, and from there, you’ll be instructed how to make the necessary changes.

If you don’t have access to the members-only section of www.alpa.org, you can e-mail your requests by sending them to membership@alpa.org. Be sure to include your member number or enough other information so that we can identify you in the membership database, and tell us what information needs to be updated.

Please note that it is not sufficient just to notify your LEC or MEC of these changes—you should register them with the ALPA Membership Department in Herndon.

Can’t remember your member number or how to log in? Need information about your ALPA insurance programs? These and other questions about ALPA services can be answered by contacting membership@alpa.org.

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Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW | Washington, DC 20036 | 703-689-2270