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A Message from Your Chairman .............. 3Notes from the

Secretary-Treasurer ............................. 5A Strategic Communications Plan ........... 7LEC 49 News: Bio for Norm Allaby, DCA

F/O and LEC 49 F/O Representativeand Vice Chair ...................................... 8

LEC 51 News: Moral Accounting:The Concept of Work ........................... 9

Committee ReportsAeromedical ........................................ 10Central Air Safety ............................... 11Furlough .............................................. 12Grievance ............................................ 13Jumpseat ............................................. 14Professional Standards ..................... 15Retirement and Insurance ................. 16Scheduling .......................................... 17Training and Testing ........................... 18

ASAP Reports Welcome to the ASAP Committee ..... 20 Incident on the ELDEE Three

Arrival into DCA, 2008 ....................... 21The Little Picture Update ....................... 22From the Backseat ................................. 23Mysteries of Communication and

Clearances .......................................... 24“Contract for Dummies” .......................... 28Fun & Games .......................................... 30The Ultimate iPod Playlist ..................... 32ARW MEC Directory ............................... 35

TABLE OF CONTENTSThe intended name for this publication is The Whiskey, with the sentiment behind itdescribed below. However, the MEC has become unnecessarily embroiled in a conflictwith ALPA National over this title, and for now, we have resigned ourselves to refer-ring to our quarterly as simply The W, hoping to amicably resolve this issue soon. Yourunion leaders are committed to representing this pilot group and honoring our legacy—that’s what this name is all about, who we are and where we come from. Regardless ofthe outcome, though, The W represents a significant step forward in attempting toreestablish a meaningful connection between union rep and line pilot.

“What’s in a Name”

What’s in a name? In this case, two words, ten letters, a straight-forward etymology from theIrish uisce beatha and Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha, literally meaning, “water of life”; from thephonetic alphabet, it’s the word used to pronounce the letter “W” in messages transmitted byradio; and it’s a nickname by which other pilots refer to us. But for this pilot group, it meansmuch more than that. It signals the heritage we have as an airline and as a pilot group. Itencompasses the honor, integrity, and dedication of the individuals who constitute our ranksand the personality of the pilots who safely and professionally fly every day under the AirWisconsin banner. It’s a hallmark of the unity of our pilot group—where we’ve been, wherewe are, and where we will go. Whether you fly here for a few years and move on or decide toretire here, and in addition to whatever else you are or may become, you’ll always be an “AirWhiskey” pilot—you are a part of our legacy as much as we are a part of yours. Welcome tothe first edition of The Whiskey.

In this opening edition, I would like to first and foremost thank everyone who accom-modated my pleas for help in putting this together for our pilot group—without your ar-ticles, updates, letters, and commentary, this simply would not have been possible. Supportfrom our MEC is absolutely paramount, and thus it is greatly appreciated—you will not findany finer advocates for our pilot group than this. Furthermore, my thanks go to you, theindividual pilot, who is reading this and consequently taking, regardless of level, an activeinterest in our pilot group as a whole. This is what we desperately need right now: dynamicinterest in our group, because with that, we have a union, and hence a voice; without that,however, we simply have a workforce, merely trudging on. Thank you for reading The Whis-key, I hope you enjoy it. I’d like to encourage you to consider submitting articles, letters,photos, suggestions, or whatever to the Communications Committee for the next quarterlyedition—we’d certainly like to hear from you and have your participation.

Respectfully, Captain Richard Swindell, Editorand Communications Chairman

The W is currently the official newsletter of theAir Wisconsin Master Executive Council of the AirLine Pilots Association, International.

The W is produced four times a year for andby the pilots of Air Wisconsin. The opinions ex-pressed here do not necessarily represent officialALPA positions or policy or those of its officers.The Whiskey is intended solely for the confidentialuse by pilots represented by ALPA.

Submissions for The Whiskey are always wel-come. Please send suggestions, comments, photos,letters, and articles to arw@alpa.org for consider-ation; otherwise, contact the Communications Com-mittee for alternate submission options. The Whiskeyassumes no responsibility for loss or damage to theseitems and reserves the right to edit submission forspace requirements. Anonymous material will notbe considered for publication, though a writer’s iden-tity may be kept unpublished if requested.

ARW COMMUNICAARW COMMUNICAARW COMMUNICAARW COMMUNICAARW COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTETIONS COMMITTETIONS COMMITTETIONS COMMITTETIONS COMMITTEEEEEE

Richard Swindell,Chairman & Editor

Tony Denault,VARS Administrator, PHL Rep

Matt Wise, Webmaster

Thorne Saylor,RDU Communications Rep

Norm Allaby,DCA Communications Rep

*A special thanks goes to KimberlySeitz, Kim Agnew, and CatherineCastrence in the ALPA National Com-munications Office.

From the top:Capt. Elliot DeSousaF/O Mike ChambersF/A Mike Furth

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WBy Joe Ellis

Captain, ORFARW MEC Chairman

Eight years can come and go pretty fast, and I find my-self in an interesting position these days. There are a fewways to look at my career thus far—am I five years be-hind schedule, has the game changed, have the rules beenwiped clean, has the world turned inside-out, requiring atotal shift in strategy? Allow me a moment to providesome background. . . .

When I was 12 years old I had a plan. I sat in the backcorner of my sixth-grade classroom and blueprinted, withincredible precision, my aviation career. Right on schedule,at the prime age of 14, I rotated on runway 15 at my home-town airport for the first time. What followed in the nextdecade was perhaps the best execution of any game plan inhistory. As I blazed from state to state, company to com-pany, and aircraft to aircraft, I was not one bit surprised tosuddenly find myself sitting in new-hire class at Air Wis-consin in February of 2001. Indoctrination brought storiesof six-month upgrades in the Dornier 328, 18-month cap-tains on the -65, and three-year 146 four-stripers. Funny thingwas, none of us would be here in three years. We surely wouldbe studying with our new comrades at United or UPS, right?After all, we all had a plan.

[queue crickets]Well, here I am, here we are. I cannot help but think, is

my situation really that unique these days? Perhaps somewould look with envy toward my position within the in-dustry, perhaps someone recently downgraded, furloughedfor the second time, or flying checks at 2 a.m. No doubtabout it, and there is a simple reason—this is a great job.I’ll come back to that.

Perhaps it is because I am getting older, or maybe theconstant leaning of our culture is driving a cynical side within,but I see things somewhat differently than I used to. I’ll takeyou back one more time, and maybe some of you will relate,to a memory of passion, dedication, and hope. When wewere kids, was there anything more spectacular than spend-ing a day at the airport watching the planes take off andhaving a real pilot say hello? The neighbors would go onvacation, and it was the flight that they spoke of with themost excitement. Back then there was not a profession heldhigher, and to be a licensed pilot was as good as being

Superman. But to say you would someday be an airline pilot,well, how many girlfriends can you handle? That was thedream, the reality, we strived for. I have said hundreds oftimes I am most thankful that I held the passion so close inthe early days, as that is what got me here. Without the dedi-cation I continue to use as fuel, I surely would not be heretoday. What I continue to hope for is that this job becomes agreat career. I am patiently waiting.

Yes, these days when a guy finds the girl of his dreams,he tells her he does something respectable, like paper clipsales. Only after she says, “I do” does he whisper in her earthat he’s an airline pilot. Extreme, but I’m sure it has beendone. Why not? How appealing is a six-day road trip forfour days of work? How appealing is $20,000 a year with

little job security? Youbetter be packing someserious charm to getpast those wonderful re-ality checks. These daysyour neighbors comehome from vacationsimply saying that nexttime, they’ll drive. Yes,I’ll take the sales job,thank you.

For me, it’s not sobad because you’ll re-call I said I have hope.My recently discoveredmaturity has brought

with it the knowledge that hope alone won’t cut it, how-ever. I can either close my eyes tight for the next 34 yearsand hope for a generous turnaround, or I can open themwide and work for it. This isn’t a revolutionary thought—for over 60 years our predecessors in this industry haveknown that it is the pilots themselves who control whetherthis becomes a job or a career. Ever hear of a little groupcalled the Air Line Pilots Association—a band of broth-ers, fighting corporate greed in the most infantile stages,who stood behind each other at every turn? What resultedwas generation after generation of pilots working witheach other, working for each other to ensure they retiresafely and with dignity, all the while leaving things onestep better for those to come.

For me, it’s notso bad becauseyou’ll recall Isaid I have hope.

A Message from Your Chairman

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Although the benefits of unionized labor could occupythis entire issue, I would like to lay out two fundamentalaspects of the relationship between the line pilot, ALPAvolunteer, and management. First, daily on the line we ascrewmembers are very much on our own. We make deci-sions and judgment calls and exercise authority in unchartedareas without flinching. Sometimes, as all pilots eventuallylearn, the stars align, and regardless of our actions we arebacked into a crisis of some sort. When this happens, it isusually the company that calls with a laundry list of con-cerns. Without question, hesitation, or judgment, your ALPArepresentatives and volunteers launch into action to assist inany and all possible ways. It is a daily part of the ALPAmachine to successfully negotiate resolution in virtually anydisagreement. It is not only in conflict that ALPA will help;after all, the very reason for the formation of the Associa-tion was to listen to the line pilot’s desire for safer skies. Youmake the call, ALPA leaps into action—no questions asked.

Now, the growing commitment of your union volun-teers is undeniable. But can we be truly successful with only10 percent of our members doing the work? Sure we can,but think about it for a minute. When you joined an ALPAcarrier, you also signed on to carry some weight on yourshoulders. We all owe it to those behind us—a promise toleave the house a little cleaner when we leave, as those be-fore us have done. To be clear, I am not making a castingcall for all pilots to volunteer. What I challenge our pilotgroup to do is much easier and happens to be much moreimportant. ALPA is so much more than a daily safety net.Collective power in voice creates momentum that cannot beslowed. If our pilot group is truly unified, then we count oneach other for everything we do. When one pilot has a con-flict, we all have a conflict. Simply use the tools you haveavailable to stay in tune with our (your) goals as a pilot group.Reading this magazine is a perfect starting point. Have thediscussion with your coworkers about where we are goingand what you are having ALPA do for you.

Someday, if you haven’t already, you will need to makethe call to an ALPA volunteer for help. It is our goal andour promise to be there without fail. There will also comea day—it may be tomorrow or it may be next year—whenALPA will call on you for help. Be there. Be there for yourfellow pilots, be there for your future first officers, be therefor your family, and be there for yourself—armed with in-formation, passion, dedication, and hope. When ALPAcalls, it is to turn this job into a career. Be there.

Eight years can go pretty fast, and I promise you thenext seven will, too. Where will you be in seven years?

From the Las Vegas 2008 BOD/MEC MeetingChairman’s Messagecontinued from page 3

Now, together let’smake a plan.

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Wby John Schumacher

F/O, DCA ARW MECSecretary-Treasurer

Hello from your new MEC secretary-treasurer, and fromyour new magazine. A lot of exciting things are happeningin our union right now, and this magazine is a big part ofthat. I truly hope that you will read these pages with inter-est and engagement; this is your magazine and every wordin here was written for your eyes. Furthermore, all of thecontent in here comes from volunteers, pilots just like youand me. Nobody got extra time off to write these articles(trust me!); we all did it because we believe in the impor-tance of communication. I’m happy to have my own partof this inaugural issue, and I’d like to use it to talk to youabout my role in the union, explain how your money isbeing spent, and give you a year-to-date budget update.

Union OrganizationFirst, a quick overview of union leadership. It all starts

with you, the line pilots. We are split into three Local Coun-cils (DCA/RDU 49, ORF/LGA 50, PHL 51). You elect yourlocal status representatives: captain, first officer, and a sec-retary-treasurer. The CA and F/O reps also serve as votingmembers of the Master Executive Council (MEC). Thus,the MEC consists of six voting members. The MEC thenelects its MEC officers: chairman, vice chairman, and secre-tary-treasurer. The officers act at the direction of the MECvoting members and are charged with running the unionday-to-day. Think of the MEC members as the legislativebranch, and the MEC officers as the executive branch.

The MEC officers are Joe Ellis, chairman; MarkLockwood, vice chairman; and me, ST. I’ll quickly explainour roles, as redefined by Joe when he took office.

Joe sets the tone for the union, acts as our spokesman,and is held accountable for all union activities. Mark and Icarry that tone from Joe down to the committees, and to-gether we support the committee chairs. Mark’s role, greatlysimplified, is to make sure that the committees are doingtheir jobs. My role is to provide the committee chairmenwith the tools and resources they need to get their jobsdone—resources like hotel rooms, rental cars, cell phones,conference calls, meal expenses, and time off from work.Time off from work? What a deal! Yes, the controversialtopic of flight pay loss (FPL).

FPL and ExpensesWhen a pilot volunteer needs time off to do work,

whether that means traveling to Appleton for a meeting orsimply staying home and working on a project, I work withthe Crew Desk to get that pilot dropped from his or hertrip. The pilot gets the time off, and the union pays for it.We simply pay for the hours the pilot otherwise would havelost (thus, flight pay loss).

When I stepped into this position, we were way overbudget for the year. Close examination showed that the unionincurs numerous expenses month to month, all of whichare necessary for the volunteers to complete their work, but

What if we run out of money? Certain situations,such as never-ending negotiations or an activestrike, could deplete all of our money. In these cases,we could turn to ALPA National for more. Nationalhas its own “savings account,” or “war chest,” calledthe Major Contingency Fund (MCF). The MCF wasestablished in the early days of ALPA to provide vir-tually unlimited resources to MECs that were inneed. It is a powerful tool that we at ARW can uti-lize. And the MCF doesn’t send small checks. Whenyou get MCF support, you get millions of dollars atyour disposal immediately. That sends a strong mes-sage to the company that ALPA will do whatever isnecessary to fight for its pilots, no matter the cost.

Notes from the Secretary-Treasurer

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by far the largest expense was FPL. So I set out to get itunder control, and created an approval tree. Now, when vol-unteers want FPL, they request it through their committeechairman. If the committee chair deems it an appropriateuse of FPL, he/she submits a request to the MEC officers.Only after the FPL is approved by the officers is the requestsent to the Crew Desk to get the trip dropped.

At some point, all of this money comes out of our bud-get. So what sort of things is your money being spent on?Flip through the pages and find out! That’s the reason we arelaunching so many new sources of communication, so thatyou as members know what your union is doing for you.

Otherwise, how would you know that Brian Milburntravels to ATW every month and helps the crew plannersbuild better lines? Richard Swindell has done a fine jobputting together our Payday Hotlines, VARS messages, andthis beautiful magazine, and so far hasn’t seen a day ofFPL for it (sorry, Richard!). But the VARS messages andthis magazine have their own associated costs. This month,the Grievance Committee and Joe went on a road show toall of the domiciles to sit down and explain the recent Re-tirement Medical LOA face-to-face, and then hosted acompanywide conference call to answer any more ques-tions. And that’s not to mention the time and resourcesthat Bill spent in getting the LOA negotiated, with the helpof our attorney Jane Schraft (who costs us nothing). Orhow about Gene Rambo, our Safety chair, who spent a dayin Herndon with Dave Mendelson trying to change thepaperwork situation in DCA? Or the ASAP Committee,which meets every month to process our reports?

There are numerous productive ways to use your money,and a big part of my job is responsibly controlling that spend-ing. Like I told the MEC when I took office, my job isn’t toapprove expenses, it’s to deny them. A monkey could sit hereand approve everything; it’s my job to make the tough deci-sions. With that being said, let’s talk about the money.

Budget ReportI’ll start by talking about what our income looks like

here at the ARW MEC, as of the beginning of the fourthquarter of 2008.

We have two numbers that together represent our to-tal MEC income; these should be thought of as depositsinto a checking account and a savings account. Our check-ing account is called simply the MEC Account, and oursavings account is called the Special MEC Reserve Account(SMRA, “smir-uh,” more on this later). The income intothese accounts comes from your dues dollar.

What if we run out of money? Certain situations,such as never-ending negotiations or an active strike, coulddeplete all of our money. In these cases, we could turn toALPA National for more. National has its own “savings

account,” or “war chest,” called the Major ContingencyFund (MCF). The MCF was established in the early daysof ALPA to provide virtually unlimited resources to MECsthat were in need. It is a powerful tool that we at ARW canutilize. And the MCF doesn’t send small checks. When youget MCF support, you get millions of dollars at your dis-posal immediately. That sends a strong message to the com-pany that ALPA will do whatever is necessary to fight forits pilots, no matter the cost.

Every active member of ALPA has 1.95% of his orher salary deducted for dues. Of that 1.95%, 0.35% goesdirectly into our SMRA. The remaining 1.60% gets dividedinto all of the union’s essential functions, and can be sum-marized by saying that it goes to support the three levelsof your union: (1) ALPA National, (2) our Master Execu-tive Council (MEC), and (3) your Local Executive Coun-cils (LECs). Very roughly speaking, the 1.60% gets splitevenly between all three. At the MEC, our third goes di-rectly into our MEC Account (the checking account). Let’suse some numbers, and start talking about expenses.

As of the beginning of 4Q ’08, our MEC Account in-come was $148,897, and our SMRA income was $98,741.We’ll simplify and call it $150k and $100k, for a total MECincome of $250k, year-to-date. Expenses for the year to-taled $342,441, or $350k. The math is pretty easy: we tookin $250k, spent $350k, resulting in a net loss of $100,000.So where does that money come from? The SMRA.

The SMRA was established by ALPA to help MECs“weather the storms,” so to speak. It is meant to be a sourceof extra funds to be used in expensive times, such as contractnegotiations (when union expenses increase due to strike pre-paredness, family awareness rallies, MEC road shows, and sup-port of a full-time negotiating committee). Over the years, aSMRA account balance should repeat a cycle: depletion dur-ing contract negotiations and rebuilding in the years when wehave a current contract. In other words, tracking the SMRAaccount balance is a good way of taking the pulse of financialhealth. Above is a graph of our SMRA balance for 2008.

SMRA Balance

continued on page 8

Notes from the Secretary-Treasurercontinued from page 5

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Wby Richard Swindell

Captain, DCAARW Communications Chairman

Early this spring, following the conclusion of the “Do IHave a Future Here” campaign, the Communications Com-mittee recognized a need for more effective and timely com-munication between the union leadership and the pilotgroup it serves. So, we set out to evaluate what we weredoing well and not so well, and began designing a reason-able and manageable communications plan for the dis-semination of quality information. What we ultimatelyimplemented, with flexibility in mind, is a communicationsnetwork designed to generate meaningful dialogue whilesimultaneously delivering committee and officer updates,not to only increase the orderly flow of information, butalso to create a greater inclusion of the whole pilot groupin the union process.

This initiative is primarily focused around a series ofupdates predicated on the importance to the entire pilotgroup, coordinated in specified time periods, not only toprovide valuable and timely information to the pilot group,but also to encourage interaction and involvement betweencommittees, pilots, and the union leadership, with an overalleffect of greater union visibility and, hopefully, solidarity.

The following forms of communications are listed inthe general time frame order in which they are used, alongwith as a brief description of their function and importance.

Portal Service: A daily-use website designed ultimatelyto act as a “one-stop shop” for pilot information, commit-tee services, archival information, polling needs, and Web-based conversation, found at www.awacalpa.org.

Payday Hotline: As the name implies, a biweeklye-mail newsletter issued on paydays. Union news and com-mittee and LEC updates are compiled and delivered to youre-mail inbox

VARS: (800-257-2279) Pre-recorded bullet statementsand short narratives—often referencing where a pilot maygo to obtain additional information on a given topic.

Text Message Service: Principally conceived to beused with time-critical information. A message is gener-ated by the MEC and Communications Committee in or-der to immediately reach the entirety of the pilot groupand direct them to a particular action or bring their atten-

tion to a significant topic. This is currently in the researchphase, along with voice message service.

FastReads: The mass e-mail system used to deliver mes-sages to the pilot group and issued on the following basis:

• Time Critical: For immediate distribution, within 12–24 hours or less. Includes, but not limited to, any issuethat demands urgent attention by the entire pilot group,most likely to be contractual and legal, safety, or op-erationally related. (Ideally used in conjunction withthe text or voice message service)

• Time Sensitive: As quickly as feasible, within 1–3 days. In-cludes, but not limited to, any issue which affects all or amajority of the pilot group, and likely contains committee-related items such as ASAP, grievance, and scheduling.

• Time Routine: As workload permits, within 3–7 days.Includes, but not limited to, issues that are importantfor pilots to understand, but not imperative to safetyor contractual compliance, yet cannot wait until thehotline comes out—most likely to be an MEC or LECupdate or other committee report.

As a committee, we feel that it is important to for youto know how we are moving information from the leader-ship team to all of you out on the line. Moreover, while wecan organize and plan all day on how to get stuff to you,the most significant factor is a leadership group willing tocommunicate—and your MEC is directly involved in ac-complishing this cooperative goal. We know, as line pilotsourselves, how frustrating a lack of information can be,and we are working diligently to rectify this—but we needyour help. You need to seek out information and, whenyou find it (which isn’t hard once you look around), pass italong. The bottom line is—our fragmented group desper-ately needs some union cohesion, which is absolutely para-mount in the face of looming CBA negotiations. Withoutsolidarity, we have nothing.

A Strategic Communications Plan

Communication—the cornerstone

of solidarity.

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Norman Allaby was hired at AWAC in November 2003, into the CRJ. Initially, Norm wasbased in ORD for a year, then moved on to IAD and has been at DCA for the last few years.

Norm earned an associate’s degree in aeronautical studies from Embry Riddle Aeronauti-cal University, and a bachelor’s degree in American studies with a concentration in communi-cations from Castleton State College.

Norm’s first job in aviation was in sales for an aerospatial distributor, selling and doingdemo flights in the four-place Trinidad and Tobago aircraft. Later, he took a position flyingand doing traffic reports in the Connecticut/New York area.

From there, Norm moved into the charter arena, progressing from Aztecs to Navahjos toAmphibious Caravans and finally to King Airs. Norm loves the water and the outdoors, sothe Caravan on floats was his favorite flying before getting on with Air Wisconsin.

In addition to his position as the DCA F/O rep, Norm is on the Communications Com-mittee. He commutes to work out of Hartford, CT.

Bio for Norm Allaby, DCA F/O and Interim LEC 49 F/O Representative and Vice Chair

As you can see, at the beginning of the year our SMRAhad a balance of $440k. At the end of June, the SMRAreached its lowest point, about $316k. The balance has sincebeen on a slow incline to a current balance of $342k (as of10/1/2008). So, good for us! I love this chart because itmakes me look like a great treasurer.

Realistically, though, the financial situation has naturallyimproved since June. The arbitration, and all of its expensivemeetings, concluded that month. Along with the election ofnew MEC officers at the regular meeting, many new commit-tee chairmen were appointed. The Negotiating Committee wascompletely disbanded until suitable replacements could be re-cruited. The biggest help to the bottom line comes from theappointment or election of many officers and chairs who arejunior to those who came before. Junior volunteers have lowerpay rates, which leads to lower expenses for the union. This isa controversial point to make for many reasons, and none ofus set out to create a junior union, but it’s still dollars andcents to me as treasurer. So where are we headed from here?

Looking ForwardFirst of all, I’ll warn you that October was an expensive

month for us simply because of the Board of Directorsmeeting in Las Vegas. It was a very productive week for ourunion, and my space here isn’t big enough to talk about the

whole week. As treasurer, I’ll say that getting to spend fivedays together as an MEC plus our key committee chairmanis invaluable, truly priceless. Furthermore, we budget forthree MEC meetings a year, and this trip fell well within thatbudget (it helped out that the MEC members plus Joe wereall paid for by National to attend the BOD). In any case,expect a dip on that graph in the 10th month.

Speaking of budgets, one of my large roles for No-vember has been building our budget for 2009. This is re-ally my first chance to sit down with every committeechairman and have an in-depth discussion about what re-sources they use throughout the year. I am excited for thisto be done because it will provide me with a useful frame-work when making decisions on expense approvals.

To conclude, it’s been a busy couple of months for me! Ireally enjoy the work, and I want to be transparent and account-able to every pilot on the property. So please contact me if youhave any questions about our expenses, budget, organization,etc. Really! I would be happy to wake up tomorrow with 700phone calls; we’re trying to fight pilot apathy, people. If youhave concerns or questions, pick up the phone and call me.

I hope you enjoyed this peek into the logistical side ofyour union. If you liked this boring lecture about unionorganization and your budget report, check back next quar-ter, there will be more of the same!

Notes from the Secretary-Treasurercontinued from page 7

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Mark LockwoodARW 51 First Officer

Representative

One of our Philadelphia cap-tains suggested that I read MoralPolitics: How Liberals and Conser-vatives Think, by George Lakoff.The book applies cognitivescience to politics. The authoranalyzes the unconscious world-

views of liberals and conservatives, explaining why theyare at odds over so many seemingly unrelated issues. I foundthe excerpt below interesting because it discusses two dif-ferent concepts of work that are seemingly at odds. Pilots,as a group, tend to lean more conservative but are oftenmembers of labor unions, which is a liberal concept.Personally, I believe that makes me a bit of a conflictedconservative. The excerpt below helped me to better un-derstand the two moral conceptions of work, and I thoughtmy fellow pilots may also benefit from the insight thatGeorge Lakoff offers.

“There are two different common metaphors forwork, each of which uses moral accounting. We will callthem the Work Exchange metaphor and the Work Re-ward metaphor. In the Work Reward metaphor, the em-ployer is conceptualized as having legitimate authority overthe employee, and pay is a reward for work. The meta-phor can be stated as follows:

• The employer is a legitimate authority.• The employee is subject to that authority.• Work is obedience to the employer’s commands.• Pay is the reward the employee receives for obedi-

ence to the employer.

This metaphor makes work a part of the moral or-der—a hierarchal chain of legitimate authority. This con-ception of work implies the following:

• The employer has a right to give orders to the em-ployee and to punish the employee for not obey-ing those orders.

Moral Accounting: The Concept of Work• Obedience is the condition of employment.• The social relationship of employer to employee

is one of superior to inferior.• The employer knows best.• The employee is moral if he obeys the employer.• The employer is moral if he appropriately rewards

the employee for obeying his orders.

In the Work Exchange metaphor, work is seen as anobject of value. The worker voluntarily exchanges his workfor money. The metaphor can be stated as follows:

• Work is an object of value.• The worker is the possessor of his work.• The employer is the possessor of his money.• Employment is the voluntary exchange of the

worker’s work for the employer’s money.

In the context of labor unions and contracts, the natureand value of the work are mutually agreed on in the con-tract. Payment is a matter of agreed upon exchange, not re-ward. Work is a matter of trade, not obedience. The natureand limits of authority are spelled out in the contract.”

Source: Lakoff, George. Moral Politics: How Liberals and Con-servatives Think. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2002.

Want to contributeto ALPA-PAC?

Go to www.alpa.org; on the home page,click the icon on the left-hand side, “Leg-islation and Politics.” On the next page,click the icon “ALPA-PAC.” The nextpage has several ways to contribute.

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By Blake DraderF/O, ORF Aeromedical Chairman

Pilots:

Hello, my name is Blake Drader,F/O ORF, and I am pleased to havebeen appointed chairman of theARW Aeromedical Committee. Un-til recently, the duties of the Aero-

medical Committee have largely been performed by theMEC. However, our new MEC chairman, Joe Ellis, saw anopportunity to create a stand-alone, well-equipped Aero-medical Committee to ensure medical support for Air Wis-consin pilots, to serve their daily medical needs, as well astake on new projects to ensure that the finest care is pro-vided to them.

The ARW Aeromedical Committee is set up to helppilots with short-term disability, drug and alcohol rehabili-tation, medical certificate issues, and any other medicalconcerns or questions you may have—we are your medicalresource. Of course, all personal information is kept strictlyconfidential.

As a final note, I am currently the only member of theAeromedical Committee—so if you think you might pos-sess any interest in lending a little bit of your personal timeto your fellow pilots and aeromedical matters, please giveme a call! Below, I provide an overview of what we do andthe direction in which I intend to take this long-vacantcommittee.

Mission StatementOur mission is to ensure that our pilots are physically

and psychologically healthy and ready for work. Our ef-forts are directed at helping pilots maintain their flight sta-tus, and helping pilots regain their flight status if it hasbeen revoked.

The Aeromedical Committee is also a resource for theARW pilot group. Pilots can contact the Aeromedical Com-mittee with medical-related questions and will be providedthe answers to those questions or be directed to a medicalestablishment that can provide the appropriate information.

Projects on the Go

Flight Physicals:The committee is currently working, in conjunction

with the MEC, to raise the annual amount reimbursed topilots for flight physicals. The current reimbursement rategiven to our pilot group is between $20 and $70 lower than

the average cost of obtaining a physical. This is clearlyunacceptable, and it will be addressed.

Flight physical reimbursement goals:• Successfully negotiate a significant increase in flight

physical compensation• Annually update reimbursement rates to reflect

most current data

Human Intervention and Motivation Study (HIMS):The Aeromedical Committee will be involved with

HIMS and plans to make the pilot group more aware ofthe HIMS program. HIMS provides pilots and their fami-lies with information and resources on substance abuse,but it can also address other problems a pilot may be fac-ing in his or her personal or professional life.

A pilot who self-discloses his or her problem with alco-hol or drugs will be issued a Special Issuance Medical Certifi-cate by the FAA upon successful completion of a course oftreatment. During this offline, short-term disability period, thepilot’s paycheck, seniority number, vacation, and sick bankaccruals are protected and remain uninterrupted.

Communication:Effective communication between the committee and

the pilot group is paramount. We will be running a com-munications campaign to make our pilots aware of the ser-vices we provide, and how best to contact the committee.We cannot effectively support our pilots if they are un-aware of the support being offered.

Communications Campaign Goals:• Make the ARW Aeromedical Committee visible

using various mediums• Outline the services available, and how to utilize

those services• Provide project updates• Provide open dialog between pilots and commit-

tee members

If you have any questions related to your health or well-being, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Fly safe, and be well.

blake.drader@alpa.orgarwaeromedical@alpa.org(757) 395-9617

Comments?Questions?

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By Gene RamboF/O, DCA ARW CASC Chairman

The Central Air Safety Committeeis proud to participate in the launchof this new publication, which willhopefully better inform the pilotgroup here at Air Wisconsin of thewide range of activities that areunder way on behalf of all of us,

and to solicit your participation and input into the process.As we have indicated in an earlier publication, the CASC

is tasked with identifying and addressing any safety-relatedissues that arise, without regard for political or financialconsiderations. Those considerations are handled by theMEC and AWAC management. We would like to say here,however, that the CASC and management have a very goodand cooperative working relationship. After all, safety is-sues are equally important to both parties, and we havebeen working together on every issue that has arisen.

The CASC is currently active in a number of safety-related projects. Among others, we are working to find analternative to the new release paperwork procedure at DCAthat does not risk injury to our crews. To this end, we wouldappreciate reports of any incidents or “close calls” experi-enced in walking to or from the Load Control trailer, or ofany problems with the procedure. These reports could beaddressed directly to someone on the Safety Committee orsubmitted as an ASAP report.

We are working to update our CASC Web page to showa complete list of all the current activities, together with a

brief description of each. In addition, we will, from timeto time, issue a short note highlighting one specific activityin detail. We are also hoping to start issuing a regular re-lease jointly with the Company that informs the pilots ofrecent incidents/occurrences, such as engine shut-downsor flap failures, along with follow-up as to what was foundand corrected after the incident. Hopefully, these reportswill be enjoyable to read and will encourage crews to thinkabout what they would do in such situations by showinghow they were handled.

Finally, we would like to end with a request, printed be-low, for our crewmembers with specialized knowledge orbackgrounds to speak up and let us know what is out there.

To the Air Wisconsin Pilot Group:Pilots, especially the pilot group at Air Wisconsin, are

a very diverse group of individuals. As a result, the CentralAir Safety Committee at Air Wisconsin Airlines would liketo ask that all pilots take a moment and send us a briefmessage outlining any special back-ground, education, or experiencethat you may have. We have initi-ated a thread for your responses onthe Safety forum on the Air Wis-consin MEC Web page located atwww.awacalpa.org. Such back-grounds could include experienceor training in: any type of engineer-ing, medical/EMT, Air TrafficControl, airframe and power plantmechanics, computer/web design,law enforcement, legal, or anynumber of areas that we have, nodoubt, not even thought of.

While the CASC is always readyto encourage volunteer participation in our union, that isnot the primary purpose of this request. We ask that eachof you respond to this request even if you are not interestedin participating in any union activities at this time. This isnot a fishing expedition as an attempt to identify individualswho will then become the subject of attempts to lobby orpressure them into joining the committee; this request ispurely for the purpose of identifying the wide variety oftalent that may be hidden in our pilot group. This is not tosay that we would never contact an individual should a situ-ation arise where that person’s particular talent is needed,but that is not our primary purpose.

If anyone has any trouble locating the thread, or if youwould prefer your information to remain confidential, pleasecontact me by e-mail at gene.rambo@alpa.org. Thank you foryour attention, and we look forward to your responses.

. . . theCASC istasked withidentifying andaddressing anysafety-relatedissues thatarise . . .Fully realizing the ceaseless peril . . .

that constantly confronts us in the pi-lotage of regularly scheduled aircraft,it is a duty that we owe to ourselves,our families, and those whose lives areentrusted to our care, to make suitableprovisions against such disaster thatmay overtake us; . . . the members of theAir Line Pilots Association adopt astheir cardinal principle the motto:

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By Joel BarmanF/O, PHL ARW Furlough Committee Chairman

As of this writing, we have 64 pilots on furlough.Hello. My name is Joel Barman, and having suffered

through furloughs at previous jobs, I was asked to chairthe MEC’s newly formed Furlough Committee. As a partof getting settled into my new post, I began talking to pi-lots who had been furloughed in the past—some from the1993 furlough lasting several years and some of the 2001new-hires furloughed in the tragic wake of 9/11.

With each conversation, I received the same sad an-swer: when they were furloughed, theydid not receive help from anyone—noassistance from the company, nonefrom their fellow pilots, and nothingfrom ALPA. Although ALPA was notin a position to assist furloughed pi-lots at the time, a National FurloughAssistance Subcommittee has nowbeen formed. So, I set about trying toestablish a support structure for thosefurloughed. Here is what your ARWFurlough Committee has accomplishedso far:

We sent out several postings andletters ensuring that the union leader-ship understood the pain that those be-ing furloughed would experience, what they would befacing, and how we as a pilot group would feel the effectsas well. We published furlough handbooks (which are avail-able upon request) and made sure they were mailed out toeach furloughed pilot. The handbook includes the how andwhys of furlough and frequently asked questions. Also pro-vided are websites for filing for unemployment compensa-tion, what kind of benefits to expect, and how to obtainindividual health care coverage.

The committee arranged an open house with Cape Airand expedited interviews with Compass Air, Mountain AirCargo, and Airnet. Unfortunately, Mountain Air Cargoabruptly stopped hiring, and Airnet was sold to new own-ers. We have just become aware that Mesaba Airlines ishiring pilots on a monthly basis and is very interested in

pilots with CL-65 experience. Delta Air Lines also recentlyannounced that it will be accepting applications. As manyof you know, very few flight jobs are available in the UnitedStates right now, and even the multitude of overseas avia-tion companies are finding themselves swamped with ap-plications, making those jobs harder to find and competefor. We also disseminated information for anyone wishingto pursue employment outside of aviation.

Other objectives of this committee are to ensure thatthe applicable contractual rights are complied with and toassist in resolving problems with and finding answers tofurlough and unemployment-related questions. In one in-stance, a furloughed pilot’s unemployment claim was dis-approved, and the Furlough Committee led a successfulappeal of that denial.

With the help of the ALPA National Furlough Assis-tance Subcommittee chairman, Larry Deist (DAL), theARW Furlough Committee is working on the WorkforceInvestment Act, which financially assists pilots on furlough,

and other programs that are still beingdeveloped to aid our unfortunate broth-ers and sisters.

We will continue to work for andsupport our furloughed pilots until eachand every one has been brought back toactive flying status!

In closing, I need to thank formerMEC off icers Carl Fleming, PeteWesterberg, and Wayne Lougheed fortheir support of this committee. I alsowould like to thank each MEC mem-ber—Steve Kern, Mark Lockwood,Thorne Saylor, Jim Drapeau, JaredArmstrong, Rich Clarke, Chris Suhs, andBlake Drader—for their support and

suggestions. A thank-you goes out to our newly appointedMEC chairman, Joe Ellis, and Secretary-Treasurer JohnSchumacher.

My fellow committee members who have also contrib-uted to this effort are: Richard Swindell, who, with theCommunications Committee, proofreads and edits all com-munications and publications from the Furlough Commit-tee; Garrett Keethler, who is coordinating efforts withbuddy passes to allow our furloughed pilots to still travelas needed; and former member Jim McGuirk, who recentlyleft the company, but who did lots of research for the fur-lough handbook. Again, thank you.

For those of you who are furloughed, we stand withyou. Please contact me with any questions you may have atarwfurlough@alpa.org or (704) 953-9200.

Although ALPA wasnot in a position toassist furloughed pilotsat the time, a NationalFurlough AssistanceSubcommittee has nowbeen formed.

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By Bill PattersonF/O, DCA

ARW Grievance Chairman

What is the ARW Griev-ance Committee?The main purpose of the Griev-ance Committee is to ensure thatour collective bargaining agreementor CBA has been followed and in-terpreted correctly by the company.

If a violation of the contract is found, the Grievance Commit-tee is responsible for the processing and filing of ALPA griev-ances in accordance with Section 20 of our CBA.

Currently the committee consists of thefollowing individuals:

Jane Schraft—ALPA senior contract administrator andattorney based in MSP

CA Bill Patterson—Grievance Committee chairmanCA Carl Fleming—Grievance Committee lead repre-

sentative/discipline cases

How does the grievance process work?I have gotten many questions lately about how the griev-

ance process works when you believe there is violation of ourcontract. Below I will try to explain how the Grievance Com-mittee takes a complaint/issue and attempts to seek settle-ment for the harmed pilot. I have created four bullet pointsthat take highlights from Section 20 of our contract.

Step #1—(see bullet point #1 below) was set up in the CAOrozco era when Scott preferred to discuss contract violationsfirst before having them filed as official ALPA grievances throughour MSP ALPA office. Since Scott’s passing, we still go throughthis process and identify potential grievance violations or “is-sues” through a bimonthly teleconference call between the Griev-ance Committee and the company. There the issue that you fileon the awacalpa.org website is raised, and heard by the com-pany, to research and respond on the next Telecon call. If thecompany feels a violation did occur and agrees with ALPA, usu-ally a remedy is proposed and the pilot is notified of such. Shortlyafter, a pilot would then be made whole and the grievance “is-sue” is closed and withdrawn.

Section 20 B. 1—“1. Prior to filing a grievance re-lated to matters other than discipline, the pilotshall discuss the matter with the Managing Direc-tor of Flight Operations, or his designee, in aneffort to resolve the dispute; provided, however,that failure to have such discussion shall not af-fect the validity of the grievance.”

The second bullet point refers to the pilot’s having 60days to bring a violation to the attention of the company.If the pilot is outside of this window, the issue/grievanceis not valid or has no merit. The company has the right todeny any issue brought to their attention if you are outsideof this time frame.

“Any pilot, or group of pilots, will first file a griev-ance with the Managing Director of Flight Op-erations within sixty (60) days of the date whensuch pilot or group of pilots became aware orshould have become aware of an alleged violationof the Agreement.”

Step 3 is where an official grievance is filed when ALPAand the company cannot agree that the “issue”” was a vio-lation of the CBA. In this case, the Grievance Committeeasks our MSP ALPA office to file paperwork with the com-pany and continue the grievance process with a hearing onthe matter. Time lines in Section 20 are strictly followed.

“The Managing Director of Flight Operations, orhis designee, will have thirty (30) days after receiptof the grievance in which to hold a hearing, andrender a decision. The decision will be postmarkedno later than the thirtieth (30th) day following re-ceipt of the grievance.”

Step 4 is for use of a System Board of Adjustment orarbitration. The most recent example of this was the 2003UAL concession case or when a pilot is discharged againsthis/her will. This takes about three to six months to ob-tain a hearing date and location. Once the hearing occurs,the attorneys generally take 45 to 70 days to submit briefsto the arbitrator, and then he can take upward of 45 to 90days to submit a decision. As you can see, this process istime-consuming and should only be used when settlementwith AWAC is not going to happen and all attempts at fairsettlement are exhausted.

Arbitration is also very expensive, with a lot of upfrontcosts for both parties. Then ARW ALPA must pay for theattorney traveling, space, meals, flight pay loss for ALPAreps, etc. ARW generally has two to five of these cases peryear, and they are quite different year by year.

“If such decision is unacceptable, it may beappealed to the System Board of Adjustmentby the Association as provided in Section 21,provided such appeal is made within thirty (30)days from the date of receipt by the Associa-tion of the Company’s decision.

continued on page 14

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Comments?Questions?

by Rob FrankF/O, DCA

ARW Jumpseat Chairman

The ARW Jumpseat Committeewould like to thank the ARWMEC and the ARW Communi-cations Committee for estab-lishing the magazine as a wayfor committees, union leaders,and other pilots to get informa-

tion out to you, the line pilot.ALPA has played a significant role in promoting the

Cockpit Access Security System (CASS), which reestablishedoff-line cockpit jumpseat access to pilots of participatingairlines in June 2004. CrewPASS, which began in July of thisyear, and which ALPA had a significant role in establishing,has been further extended for testing in BWI, PIT, and CAE.These two procedures, which aid over 4,000 pilots a day,were established to help you! The ALPA National JumpseatCommittee is working on many other programs to help allpilots who jumpseat to/from work or personal travel.

Most of you have seen and read my updates over thepast two years since I have become the chairman of theARW Jumpseat Committee. LGA Captain Charles Roos, whois also on this committee, has been working diligently onthe Jumpseat 101 guide, which will be distributed by the endof the year. In September of this year, I was asked to repre-sent the regional airlines of ALPA on the ALPA NationalJumpseat Committee, and, I currently serve under RichOdbert, who is a FedEx DC (MD)-10 first officer. This givesAir Wisconsin a unique opportunity to influence jumpseatpolicy at the national level. So, please let us hear from youabout your experiences, problems, and concerns.

I would like to share with you the mission statementfor our committee:

• Promote unity between all airline pilot groups• Assist pilots in jumpseating to or from work and plea-

sure travel• Advocate the jumpseat privilege to the TSA and other

government agencies• Seek improved security for the individual pilot and crew

FAR 121.535 deals with PIC authority. PIC Authorityhas begun to diminish over the years, and I want to makesure every ARW captain knows that they are in commandof their aircraft and the cargo that they carry. Please makesure that when you have jumpseaters on your aircraft, theycheck in with you and you verify all of their documents,including company ID, pilot certificate, and medical. Pleasemake sure that you do not leave any pilots behind in the

boarding area. If a pilot is not CASS-approved, they stillhave the ability to jumpseat in the cabin. If we do not havea formal agreement with an airline, you as the PIC have theauthority to allow them to jumpseat. Ask for their airlineor contact information and pass it to me, and I will estab-lish an agreement with their company.

Lastly, if any pilot is having problems jumpseating orhaving problems with a jumpseater, please contact the com-mittee or me. You can find our jumpseat form under“Jumpseat Committee” at www.awacalpa.org. If we do nothear about an issue, we cannot help get it resolved. Weknow most of the airline Jumpseat Committee representa-tives, and we should be able to fix a problem or answeryour questions in a timely manner.

What else does the ARW Grievance Commit-tee handle?1. Discipline cases, known as “Section 19 hearings”2. Letters of Agreement (LOAs) and Memorandums of

Understanding (MOUs)3. System Board of Arbitration4. E-mails and phone calls from pilots asking questions

about the CBA

NeededOne volunteer willing to assist the Grievance Com-

mittee in the following manner:

1. Answer pilot phone calls and e-mails on possible con-tract violations

2. Process Issue forms on the awacalpa.org website3. Work with the ARW Communications Committee to

provide factual information to the ARW pilots for thePay Day Hotline

4. Have a general interest in learning more about our CBAand contract law

If you are interested, please contact CA Bill Pattersonat Bill.Patterson@alpa.org.

Questions on the committee or comments can be di-rected to the following:

CA Bill Patterson Bill.Patterson@alpa.orgCA Carl Fleming Pang@aol.comJane Schraft Jane.Schraft@alpa.org

Grievance Committeecontinued from page 13

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By Joe PayneCaptain, DCA

Outgoing ProfessionalStandards Committee Chairman

After three years on the ARWProfessional Standards Commit-tee, and as chairman for over ayear of that, I am turning over thereins and would like to welcomeCaptain Jayme Schappals, ORF, to

this position. I wish him well in executing the mission of thischallenging committee. In the last three years, I’ve managedover 40 cases, 15 of those as chairman, and have always workedto instill a positive working relationship with management anda quality rapport with the pilot group as well. Having initialedthe concept of always having an F/O on the committee, I’dlike to thank Kent Fujimoto, F/O DCA, for all of the dedica-tion and time he has donated to this committee as a Pro-Standards member. Lastly, I want to thank the pilot group fortheir support and involvement with this committee. I’d like toleave you with the following:

Three vs. the WorldWe all know our jobs can be hard. I like to say that the

flying part is great, but I could do without the rest: the rudepassengers, who, no matter how many times you explain some-thing, still don’t understand or just refuse to comply; the eliteTSA who seem to enjoy giving flight crews a hard time andprobably can’t spell terrorist, much less actually identify one;various ATW offices and personnel who, when called, are aboutas friendly as the people who work at the Jet Rock; the threeairplane swaps with five legs and a 12-hour duty day; the two-day, two-day trips that are uncommutable on both ends; thetrailer at DCA that we all have to walk to because station per-sonnel can’t be held accountable for doing their job correctly,although we certainly are (and apparently everyone else’s aswell). The list could simply go on and on. But there is one waythat I have found to get through all of this and still have agood trip—it’s all about your crew. If you think about it, itreally is the three of you vs. the world.

I know that we throw three strangers together andsometimes we may not get along, but we do support eachother because we are crew. Just think about some of yourbest trips—I would be willing to bet that the first thingyou would say is: “We had a great crew.” Next to the RiverVis 19 and the Expressway Visual, the crew is usually thebest part of the trip.

Since upgrading to captain, I have found a few thingsto help build a good crew relationship:

1. As the captain, make sure you give a briefing not onlyto the first officer but also to the flight attendant aswell—as an F/O, ask for one and be involved in it.

2. Help out when your own duties allow—cross theseatbelts, complete the walk around when the weatheris bad, go get coffee for the crew.

3. Call in a meal break when you need one.4. Let the crew know that if they have a problem with

crew scheduling or anything else, you will help to thegreatest extent possible.

5 If you have a good overnight, see if your crew wantsto go out. Some good places and things to do: rent acanoe on the lake in ITH, go to Niagara Falls in BUF,go see the U.S.S. Constitution in BOS, take the hotelshuttle to downtown CHS.

I have found that acting on some of these ideas andtreating my crew in both a professional and friendly man-ner seems to make my four-day, five-day, or six-day tripsgo a lot faster, and sometimes, I end up with two newfriends at the end of my trip.

Thank you!By Jayme Schappals

Captain, ORFIncoming Professional Standards

Committee Chairman

Fellow AWAC pilots:

My name is Jayme Schappals andI am the new Professional Stan-dards Committee chairman. Iwould like to thank the out-going

chairman, Joe Payne, for all his hard work and dedication toour pilot group. I started my employment with Air WisconsinAirlines on January 30, 2000, and since then, I’ve flown theBAe-146, Do-328, and the CL-65. I’ve been based in DEN,ATW, ORD, IAD, and ORF. Currently I’m an ORF captainliving in Virginia Beach, VA.

My primary goal as the new Professional StandardsCommittee chairman is to enhance the margin of safetyour airline operates at on a daily basis, by emphasizing andcommunicating the concepts and procedures we as pilotsuse to operate the CL-65 and to interact with each other asprofessionals. I’m honored and proud to serve this groupof pilots, and if you ever gave any questions, concerns, orneed to discuss safety or operational issues, please call me,(574) 361-3115 or e-mail jayme.schappals@alpa.org.

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By Capt. Gary Miller-Retired401(k) Administrator

gmiller1@mchsi.com

For most 401(k) plan par-ticipants, this has been agood quarter . . . to loseyour statement.

Sure, we should know that thelower prices make this a goodchance to invest new contribu-

tions at a bargain price (once we get past the concern thatthose prices won’t continue to fall), but there is a very realpossibility that some (many?) participants will see an endingbalance (09/30) that is lower than it was a quarter ago, wipingout three months’ worth of contributions (and then some).

It is interesting—and perhaps fortuitous—that, evenas the markets struggle, asset allocation choices are avail-able on our retirement plan menu. They are increasingly afavorite as a plan default option, evenas a growing number of automati-cally enrolled participants are de-faulted into our Retirement DateFunds—one of those rare occur-rences where a much needed solu-tion is actually available and in placebefore the crisis hits that it is de-signed for.

Having said that, it is also a yearwhen even diversified portfolios aretaking it on the chin. And partici-pants defaulted into RetirementDate Funds—even participants whoactively embraced the convenienceof the “just pick one” solution—may not fully appreciatethe benefits of that alternative.

On the other hand, these are the kinds of marketswhere the benefits of diversification should stand out. Ina quarter when the S&P 500 shed 9 percent of its value,those Retirement Date Funds may look very good indeed.People, even experts, have different notions of what con-stitutes an appropriate asset allocation, and people—per-haps especially experts—are certainly entitled to their variedopinions.

Are You Bullet-Proof ?As a pilot, you submit to 6- and 12-month medical ex-

ams, annual recurrent ground schools, 6- and 12-monthcheckrides, background checks, fingerprinting, and various

other checks, but have you taken care of your most pre-cious others? Who is your 401(k) beneficiary?

As I look at our files today, we have 408 Air Wisconsinpilots who have no beneficiary on file for their 401(k) ac-count. For our pilots who have a beneficiary on file at T.Rowe Price, when was the last time you reviewed and up-dated your “Retirement” beneficiary forms?

Under federal law, money in accounts without a ben-eficiary designation automatically goes to the current spouseunless he or she signs a waiver form. Any time a divorceoccurs and the documents aren’t changed, the situation getsquite dicey for attorneys. A case scheduled to be heard bythe Supreme Court next month about the fate of an inher-ited 401(k) account should serve as a wake-up call to up-date beneficiary documents. The majority of people gothrough many lifestyle changes, such as marriages, divorces,partnerships, and births of children and grandchildren,without updating their beneficiary documents. Some advi-sors recommend a revisit to your beneficiary documentsevery one to two years, even if no changes are anticipated.

Even if you are single, a beneficiary form is important.Log in to your account at T. Rowe Price, and under the“Forms” tab, download the beneficiary form, and returnto TRP.

What You Need to Know About Naming a Ben-eficiary for Your 401(k)

Naming a beneficiary is not as easy as you think. It isrecommended that you talk to a financial planner or advi-sor before you name someone who cannot inherit your401(k) account. This also is a very good website that mayhelp you decide:

http://www.401khelpcenter.com/mpower/feature_1beneficiary.html

Under federal law, money inaccounts without a beneficiarydesignation automatically goes tothe current spouse unless he orshe signs a waiver form.

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By Brian MilburnF/O, PHL

ARW Scheduling Chairman

ARW Pilots,

The Scheduling Committee isworking on numerous items af-ter the BOD meeting in LAS thispast week. I traveled to ATW af-ter the BOD meeting to express

our concerns regarding the schedules. Being able to attendthe BOD meeting in LAS was a tremendous asset. It allowedme the time to speak with the other airlines’ elected repre-sentatives and see the issues that they are facing and how wecould all work together to better our industry.

We are trying to resolve the issue that we are havingwith the Ready Reserve lines. I know it is very hard to workfour days as an R1 and then switch to an R3 the last dayon. This creates a situation in which most people will haveto be away from home for seven days. I have expressed myconcerns about this to both Bob Frisch and Andrea Jensen,and we are trying to come up with a resolution that willsuit both sides. I will keep everyone posted.

The amount of open time is the other issue that I wouldlike to speak about. First, I would like everyone to knowthat the daily open time comes in the morning sign-in sheetin each domicile. I usually find this sheet stuffed away un-der other documents and no one really takes a look at it.This is the most up-to-date information and is the onlycontractual obligation management has in posting the opentime. I would suggest taking the time to look it over if youare interested in picking up open time.

I am slated to attend the AOS training in the middleof December. This will provide us with additional back-ground and information concerning the program the Com-pany is using to construct our pairings and lines. I haveseen that the Company is willing to take our advice in build-ing the lines with the pairings that they have constructedand to work with us. Having this program and knowledgewill allow the Scheduling Committee to spend more timewithout extra expense to assist in the line construction andpossibly the pairing construction.

After spending numerous hours speaking with otherairlines at the BOD meeting and getting their input, I ap-proached the MEC with the request to begin research withmanagement on PBS. This is not saying that we are look-ing to implement a PBS system at AWAC but merely thatwe would do the research. I feel that we cannot make aneducated decision without doing the proper legwork to see

how it would affect us. Many other ALPA groups negoti-ated over PBS as part of concessionary bankruptcy agree-ments, but this is not true in all cases. Many other groupslike PBS. It isn’t necessarily better or worse than line bid-ding, but the impact on the pilots is determined by rulesnegotiated to govern it. We know AWAC wants PBS, and itwill be on the table when we start bargaining in the fall of2010. We don’t want PBS to delay getting a contract thatwill most certainly include other improvements. For thatreason, it makes sense to figure out whether we want it ornot. If we are willing to agree to it, we want to be up tospeed on what protections we will need to enhance ourschedules through PBS.

Other ALPA groups confirmed that it is a long andtechnical process, and it is always better to be prepared inadvance, especially when we can take advantage of others’experience.

We know that many pilots are concerned about whatwe might lose with the implementation of PBS. A big is-sue is the trip-touching provisions on the primary vaca-tion. I have brought this to management’s attention, andthey are well aware of this. There are various ways to solvethis problem, including simply negotiating a higher vaca-tion accrual. We will be working with the vendors and otherairlines to see how they worked around their issues.

ExpressJet management came to ALPA and wanted aPBS system. After doing the research, they concluded thatthey did not want PBS, but instead decided to work to-gether to build both lines and pairings. We have only hadlimited opportunity at AWAC to do this. By having the AOStraining, we will have more time to dedicate to our sched-ules, and we will see what impact we can have.

The MEC passed a resolution authorizing research onPBS, provided that the Company picks up the FPL andexpenses for two ALPA representatives to engage in thisprocess. The Company has agreed, and Bill Patterson andI have been designated as the ALPA representatives. Wehave already been in contact with the Mesaba pilots andare traveling to MSP to meet with them to get some back-ground information on the major pitfalls and areas of con-cern regarding PBS.

If you have questions or concerns, please feel free tospeak with me or any of your LEC representatives. We arecommitted to communicating our progress and findings toyou as the process continues. Please also keep in mind thatPBS cannot be implemented without contractual agreementthat would require pilot membership ratification. You willbe fully informed before you are asked to make a decision.

Fly safe and fly the contract.

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by Ryan Von TrappCaptain, RDU

ARW Training & Testing Chairman

“Sim world” is a pretty interest-ing place. Every time I walk intothe simulator bay in Charlotte,NC, the first thing to hit me is thesmell of the room and the hum-ming sound of the simulators. Formany, that alone will bring back a

flood of checkride and training event memories—6 hours ofyour life that seemed like 12. The first 2 hours consist of try-ing to spend about 45 minutes joking around with the checkairman in an effort to catch up on current news (and delay thegreatly feared oral). Then, 2 hours’ worth of questions squeezedinto a rapid-fire onslaught for an hour and 15 minutes thatleaves your mind (and ego) feeling like Jell-O. “Why couldn’t Iremember that the TOGA button can be used to disconnectthe autopilot?” you ask yourself.

After a quick coffee break (or maybe a smoke and com-forting call to a loved one), you are off to the simulator. I canempathize with the students as they walk into the simulatorand take a glance at each other to determine who gets to bethrown to the wolves first. I normally hear, “It’s cold in here,”but the vents are full-open by the end of the session. After thepilots take their seats and build a nest, I normally will see atleast one them staring off into space in a moment of silence.I always wonder what they are thinking.

Praying, maybe?My name is Ryan von Trapp, and I am your new Train-

ing and Testing Committee chairman. I have been at AirWisconsin for five years and am currently based in RDUas a captain and check airman. My roles at Air Wisconsinhave taken me from being a first officer in Chicago duringthe trailing end of our United days, to working as a part-time CPT and ground school instructor in Denver, a full-time simulator check airman and designated examiner inCharlotte, then being back on the line full-time in RDU asof last June. I have only flown the CRJ at Air Wisconsin.Prior to working here, I was a first officer at Atlantic CoastAirlines in the BAe Jetstream 4100.

During my time as a first officer and part-time instruc-tor, I became involved in our Accident Investigation Com-mittee and am fully trained and qualified as an ALPA accidentinvestigator. Aside from instructing, I have also been involvedin making changes to our operating procedures, assisting withthe creation of our Non-Essential Equipment and Furnish-ings (NEF) program, managing our Cockpit Procedures

Training program, participating on the Wingtip Strike Com-mittee, creating the preflight inspection CD, and workingon our fuel savings initiative. I also will occasionally work inthe simulator as a part-time instructor.

Yes, I have a life.It’s been a very interesting and rewarding five years for

me at Air Wisconsin, and I am excited to use my backgroundand experiences both as a line pilot and instructor to serveas your Training and Testing Committee chairman.

Capt. Todd Hannemann, the previous Training andTesting Committee chairman, has made an outstandingrecovery after his hospitalization nearly two years ago. Toddhas a wealth of knowledge and experience as an Air Wis-consin instructor, and I am very pleased that he is still ac-tive in our committee.

Committee membersWe have committee members in DCA, ORF, and PHL:

DCA—Captain (vacant)DCA—F/O Kristen HaydenORF—Captain Todd HannemannORF—F/O Bradley GrayPHL—Captain Robert WarthenPHL—F/O Morgan Scribner

These volunteers are available for you to discuss yourconcerns about training, and to ask questions about cur-rent training events. These members will be provided withmonthly updates about the Training Department and willalso be informed about major training events. For example,pending FAA approval, we will start giving LOFT scenariosto captains every six months instead of PCs. Your Train-ing Committee members will be fully informed about thesenew programs. About the only thing we can’t help you withis telling you who will be giving your next PC!

Scope of the Training and Testing CommitteeThe scope of the Training and Testing Committee is

very simple:

• Recommend improvements for Air Wisconsintraining,

• Analyze accidents and incidents, in coordinationwith the Central Air Safety Committee, for train-ing deficiencies,

• Act as a clearinghouse for training information,• Monitor present training programs to maintain a

high standard of training.

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get the best training available and maintaining an open ex-change of information between the safety and training andtesting committees. It is important to point out that ourrole with the Flight Training Depart-ment is non-political—we are strictlyconcerned about safety and training.

How we go about accomplishingthe scope of the Training and TestingCommittee is centered on communi-cation among you, our committeemembers, and the Flight Training De-partment. I assure you that the FlightTraining management is always interested in making im-provements and will work with us in any way it can to im-prove our training program and operating procedures.

Training Department updateIf you stand around long enough in the Charlotte, NC,

training center, you’ll probably see a tumbleweed roll by. Weare very slow right now. Slow is sometimes a good thing in atraining department, because we now have the time to gothrough the program and make any desired changes and im-provements. Our full-time training staff in Charlotte consistsof two instructors—Grant Parker and Jim Gibbons (downfrom about 13 instructors at the beginning of the year).

We are very fortunate to have a great training programwith quality instructors. Both Grant and Jim are very ex-perienced instructors and have maintained a good reputa-tion with our pilots. While Paul Preidecker is technicallythe Lead Line Observation pilot, he is very active at thetraining center. John Gisen will also come down to Char-lotte on occasion.

The biggest complaint I hear on a regular basis is thatour recurrent ground training program is too short (one dayin ground school) and that our pilots do not feel like theyget any regular training in the simulator. When you come infor a PC, you are basically just demonstrating the same stuffover and over again (stalls, steep turns, V1 cut, etc.).

As far as ground school goes, the flight departmentrealizes that our pilots would like to spend more time inground school discussing important stuff rather than tak-ing tests for half the day. The original intent of the sys-tems IBT program (which, ironically enough, I was a partof creating) was for the Internet-based systems and gen-eral subject tests to count for credit. Unfortunately, we raninto issues with our FOM—which states that if you fail awritten test, you are removed from line-flying duties. So, ifyou had taken your general subjects tests in a hotel on anovernight in Fort Lauderdale, you would technically not beallowed to fly the next morning if you failed (rats…). Thesolution became to make “practice” IBT tests, reduceground school to one day, and take the general subjectsand systems tests in class.

The solutions for increasing the amount of time youhave to talk in class are now either to make a change in theFOM in order for the IBT test to count, or to make a com-bined general subjects and systems in-class test that will

take only about an hour to complete.Both scenarios are being evaluated.

As for simulator training, we aremoving toward giving a LOFT everyyear for captains instead of a PC.Because we do not use an AdvancedQualification Program, we have acertain amount of flexibility withhow we are able to conduct recur-

rent training and checking. I am very excited about thesenew LOFT scenarios, written by Paul Preidecker, and thepossibilities for improved decision making and training forour pilots.

For example, it is very difficult to cover all of the stuffthat needs to be done during a recurrent PC, as well asinclude our current issues (unstabilized approaches, windshear events, etc.) during training. With the LOFT scenarios,we have a huge opportunity to close the gap between ASAP,FOQA, and irregularity reports with simulator training.More news to come on this after the FAA gives us finalapproval.

Visit our websiteThe Training and Testing Committee has a page on

the ALPA website. We are just starting to get organizedand set the agenda for the next two years, and you cankeep track of current training news and events by clicking:

MY LEC/MEC Committees Training and Testing

You can also find contact information for the Trainingand Testing committee on our page. Your communicationwith our committee is a key component of making recom-mendations for improvement.

The opening paragraphs of this article are a small ex-ample of the anxiety and fear that most people have oftraining events. We will never get around the fact that thereis jeopardy involved with training and checking. I enjoylearning, but also understand that learning has to be aninteresting and rewarding experience if I am going to crackopen a book. My goal is to maintain the current quality oftraining and create new tools and resources for our pilotsso that training events are an experience that you will lookforward to.

I truly believe that safe flight operations are a directresult of quality training and professionalism within ourpilot group. I look forward to doing my part to ensure thatyou are a well-trained and informed pilot, and that trainingis enjoyable, which will ultimately result in a high level ofsafety for you and your passengers.

I assure you that theflight training managementis always interested inmaking improvements . . .

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By Dan Lehenbauer, Captain, LGAARW ASAP ERC Representative

and Fran Scalley, Captain, RDUFormer ASAP Committee Chairman

Primary Event Review Committee Representative

Welcome to the ASAP section of The W. In the past, wewrote notes to the pilot group and sent them out via theALPA e-mail system. Although that method of communi-cation may still be utilized to deliver time critical informa-tion to the pilot group from your ASAP Committee, we willfocus our unofficial alerts and advisory information in themagazine and from time to time in The Pay Day Hotline.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is DanLehenbauer, and I’ve served on the ASAP Committee asthe backup representative for over a year now. I flew theDornier and have been on the CRJ for five years, three ofthose as captain. I’m based in LGA, commuting from MKE,which allows me easy access to ASAP meetings in ATW.

As you may have read, we have had some personnelchanges in your ALPA representation to the ASAP ERC.The MEC salutes Captain Fran Scalley (RDU) in his serviceas the ASAP chairman/primary rep for the past two years.Your MEC is looking to fill this vacancy with a motivatedcandidate. Contact one of your local reps about ASAP andERC if you think you might be interested in volunteeringsome of your time to these critical committees.

Since the last communication from the ALPA ERCreps, we have welcomed Captain Jim Reiners to the ERCas the pilot ASAP program manager. Jim was a check air-man on the Dornier 328 and also a line captain on the CRJ.We are glad to have him.

Now, to the heart of the matter: these “unofficial alerts”are news and information that have come from actual ASAPreports submitted by you, the Air Wisconsin pilot group.These are for your information only—please always referto current policies and procedures. Official ASAP Alertsare issued by the Company, on the recommendation of the

ERC, in PIFs, e-mails, Crew Alerts, and Jeppesen 10-7pages. These items below are described for your benefit,and are not listed in any order of significance.

Flying SoloWe still are seeing too many single ASAP reports. We

want to see two sides of the event, as there are two pilotsin the cockpit. If you fill out an ASAP report, please tellyour flying partner that you have done so. We want bothcrewmembers protected should an event be considered“non-sole source.”

RNAV Arrivals vs. P-56We have seen some reports where the pilots have en-

tered the arrival runway into DCA and then the FMS dumpsthe arrival. This is especially true when selecting one ofthe secondary runways. As you set up the approach in theFMS with the selected runway, ensure that the FMS willcontinue to take you along the ATC expected route.

ELDEE 3 ArrivalThis arrival into DCA, as you should be aware, was

amended by NOTAM. The NOTAM deals with crossingrestrictions, and a newly issued Jeppesen plate now reflectsthis NOTAM. However, please continue to review theNOTAMs on each flight to ensure that all crossing restric-tions are met. We have been informed by the FAA that theELDEE 3 Arrival should have a comprehensive fix some-time in 2009. Also, do not descend to any altitude publishedon the charts/NOTAMs until cleared to “Descend via.”

Still Dealing with DCAThe Rosslyn LDA is not in the FMS database and will

have to be manually entered. This is also true with theDAWNN 3 Departure from Indianapolis.

ATC Read-BacksWhen responding to an ATC clearance, please indicate

your full understanding of the clearance by not simply read-ing back numbers. For example, if you are instructed toslow to 210 knots, do not read back “Air Wisconsin 9360,210,” as this could mean you are slowing to 210 or climb-ing or descending to FL210, or turning to a 210º heading.

CaptainsWhen it comes to the ATC clearance obtained on the

ground, question the first officer to ensure that your flight

Welcome to the ASAP Committee

continued on page 27

Contact one of your local reps aboutASAP and ERC if you think youmight be interested in volunteering someof your time to these critical committees.

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The following is a narrative, written by the captain involved,based on the actual ASAP report he filed following the inci-dent. The W wishes to thank the pilot for his candor andwillingness to share his experience with us.

Since the success of the first powered flight and the grow-ing aviation industry that followed, risk has always been as-sociated with the operation of aircraft. As time passed,aviation grew to serve numerous needs that demanded safetyregulation and oversight to reduce risk and prevent mishaps.

Airlines work closely with the FAA to ensure that safetyis the top priority of any operator. Pilot error is a big causeof aviation incidents and accidents, which has led to suchideas as crew resource management (CRM) and the aviationsafety action program (ASAP) to mitigate this trend; theseprograms help pilots to learn and modify their behavior tominimize risk.

The purpose of this analysis is to understand why thisincident occurred and what can be done to prevent similarincidents from occurring in the future, benefiting the pi-lots involved as well as the rest of the pilot group at AirWisconsin.

Pilot HistoryAt the time of the incident, the captain had a total of

3,200 hours, mostly in the CL-65, with just under 200 hoursas Pilot In Command (PIC).

On the day prior to the incident, the captain flew fourflights and worked for a total of 9.7 hours of duty and thenreceived approximately 15 hours of rest before reporting backto duty the next day. On the day and time of the ASAP event,the captain had been on duty for 5 hours and was operatinghis third leg.

ELDEE Three ArrivalThis procedure provides routing as well as altitude and

speed restrictions that pilots must follow. It is ATC’s respon-sibility to keep IFR aircraft separated and for the pilots tofollow ATC’s instructions to ensure this separation. It is com-mon for ATC to instruct the crew to “descend via” theELDEE 3 Arrival, making the crew responsible for altitudeand speed requirements as published on the associated chart.The procedure had been in place for seven weeks prior tothe incident.

Safety IncidentThe flight was proceeding along the ELDEE 3 Arrival,

descending to an assigned altitude of 15,000 feet at DRUZZ,when the crew was asked to descend via the arrival. The cap-tain was the pilot flying, and the first officer was the nonflyingpilot. The captain referenced the chart and set the altitudenecessary for the preceding fix, stating his intentions, whichincluded the altitude he was going to set and for each fix. Hecontinued in this fashion for the entire arrival.

Incident on the ELDEE Three Arrival into DCA, 2008After passing the DRUZZ fix, the captain mistakenly

missed the next fix (REVUE) and set the altitude for PUGEE,which was two fixes ahead. The captain, unaware of this mis-take, started the decent for PUGEE and ended up crossingREVUE around 14,300 ft. The altitude restriction forREVUE is 15,000 ft. Both crewmembers were made awareof this mistake by an inquiry from ATC and a further reviewof the arrival chart revealed the same.

ConclusionIn this incident, although no other aircraft were nearby,

loss of separation between potential traffic had occurred,which significantly increased the risk to the flight. The alti-tude restrictions on any arrival are in place to protect aircraftfrom other traffic operating in the vicinity. Had the airspacebeen busier, the loss of separation could have resulted in anaccident.

The primary cause was the captain’s failure to set thecorrect altitude for the appropriate fix on the arrival. Sec-ondary causes are deviation from company procedures, lackof communication between crewmembers, and unfamiliar-ity with the arrival procedure.

Here are some actions to prevent similar incidents fromoccurring in the future:

Crewmembers should stick to company procedures atall times. In this situation, it is the PF’s duty to descend theairplane and the NFP’s duty to set the altitude. This encour-ages both pilots to be involved in how the aircraft is beingoperated and will have two people checking the necessaryaltitudes instead of one person.

The captain should encourage more communication withthe first officer. The arrival should be briefed to include altitudeand speed restrictions so both pilots know what to expect. Whileon the arrival, the PF should verbalize his or her actions, andthe NFP should confirm those actions. The captain should re-iterate that he or she should be challenged by the first officer ifthe F/O thinks a mistake has been made or is uncomfortablewith the manner in which the flight is being conducted.

The crew should stay vigilant and pay strict attention tothe procedures they are instructed to fly. Especially with newprocedures, as the ELDEE 3 was at the time, the crew shouldtake adequate time to review the appropriate charts and pro-cedures before they fly. They should also make a special ef-fort not to engage in unnecessary conversation or activitywith a demanding task before them and, instead, remain fullyfocused on the safe operation of the aircraft.

In general, this incident occurred due to the breakdownof CRM and deviation from standard operating procedures.Pilots should make every effort, on every flight, to operateunder standard procedures utilizing effective communication,while encouraging CRM in order to provide the safest flightenvironment possible, thus minimizing the risk of incidentsand accidents.

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DCA to PHLWe’re parked, this overcast afternoon, on spot Lima—oras I like to call it, the Pentagon South Parking Lot, whichwe are closer to than the terminal.

It’s turn three on day three of the trip and, as is oftenthe case, we are a mixed-and-matched crew of reserves fromdifferent domiciles. It’s our first leg with the FA who hasjust joined us, and at two minutes to push I’m thinking.“Hey, why aren’t we closing up?”

My faithful and competent F/O, thinking the sameand with an ever vigilant attitude toward on-time perfor-mance, offers to put the paperwork out, as it appears thata passenger has come up, to the front to talk to the flightattendant. We close up and I’m waiting to hear from theflight attendant that we’re ready to go, when she comesup front and says, “A passenger just came up to me andshe says another passenger in the back is making threatstoward her and other passengers. She says she doesn’t feelsafe sitting near him.”

In less time than it takes to tell this, my astute judgmentand years of training kick in: “He’s off the plane,” I say,giving my best major league umpire “you’re out” signal.

The F/O says “Awesome!” so apparently he agrees withthis assessment.

Hmmm. Wait a minute. I hear some of my lategrandfather’s better advice ringing out in the back of mymind: Be bold. Be bold. But not too bold.

The Little Picture Update

“What exactly happened?” Everybody from here toAppleton is about to get rrrrrreal interested in what’s go-ing on in the back of my airplane, and I decide I betterhave all the facts before taking action.

“I had a woman and her daughter-in-law ask if they couldsit together, so I asked another passenger if he would mindbeing re-seated. He said ‘no problem’ and that he would move.Then, as they were taking their seats, something happenedand she brushed him with her purse, and he said, ‘Mother-truckers better stop fooling with me or somebody’s going toget hurt. Somebody’s going to get hurt. I tell you somebody’sgoing to get hurt up in here’ [or words to that effect—thisbeing a family show; the FA was very specific in quoting himverbatim]. Another passenger asked him to calm down andwhy did he need to talk that way, at which point the man said:‘You want some of this, too?’ Then he looked at me and said,‘This is your fault. You know this is your fault.’”

OK, that’s fairly straightforward. I get up from my seatto get a better handle on the situation, replaying my recentRGS Threat Level refresher in my head (pop quiz: What levelis this?), and I make eye contact with one of our more se-nior and experienced flight attendants who is non-revvingin the back. With one look, she tells me everything I needto know and more.

This guy needs to go.We’re parked, chocked, brakes on (obviously), and we

pop the cabin door. I tell the F/O to call Ops and tellthem what’s happening and that we want Customer Ser-vice and Law Enforcement because we’re going to be re-moving a passenger from the flight for making threats. Itell him if he hears the cockpit door slam, it’s because mybody is pressed up against it on the other side and at thatpoint he may as well go ahead and lock it.

The individual in question is in the last row, craninghis neck to see what’s going on, as are most of the peoplearound him. The front half of the plane seems blissfullyunaware and there’s a guy in a business suit in the frontrow who looks at me and pointedly glances at his watch.

by Matthew L. Chadwick, CA DCA

While we are regularly updated on the Big Picture, for many of us here at Air Wisconsin, ourdaily experiences are better captured by a point of view that is closer to our domiciles, closer toline operations, closer to the gates than half of our crew rooms are and, if at all possible,closer to a Five Guys hamburger. That’s why I have been invited to share with you one pilot’sexperience as we catch a glimpse of life on the line where often all we can see are the 18 planesin front of us on Taxiway Sierra or—as in this edition—that which is right up in our face. Ibring you: the Little Picture.

(Some names and details have been changed in the interestof privacy and to protect the not-so-innocent.)

“A passenger just came up to me andshe says another passenger in the backis making threats toward her andother passengers. She says she doesn’tfeel safe sitting near him.”

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by Jennifer Reineck, DCA F/O

I’m no expert on non-revving, and I’m certainly not aworldly travel writer like Samantha Brown. I just love trav-eling to faraway places and experiencing new cultures. Isaw a commercial the other morning for Rosetta Stone,“the fastest way to learn another language, guaranteed.” Itmade me think of those kiosks you see in almost everyairport. I can’t tell you how many coworkers have said theywant to buy Rosetta Stone, learn a foreign language, andthen visit Europe, or wherever. Until last week, I hadn’tknown anyone who actually bought the product. I’d saythat one person who did buy it (to learn French) is theexception to the rule—and he’s already been to France. So,he’s not going to count!

Anyway, my point is this—if you speak English and youhave a passport, you have all you need to get around and seethe world. If you wait to master a foreign language beforeyou let yourself travel, you’ll never make it there. I’ve trav-eled on five of seven continents and non-revved on four ofthose. Guess what the common denominator of all thoseplaces is? The English language. During the Monica Lewinskyscandal, even in the poorest towns in Egypt, the locals wouldjoke with me and say “Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky”—and then laugh. Instead of buying the Rosetta Stone soft-ware, think about hopping on a plane and actually going toLondon to see the real Rosetta Stone in the British Museum!

Next month, I have a chunk of days off, so I decided Ineeded to eat my words and travel somewhere. Trying tofigure out where I wanted to go, I spoke with a mainlinejumpseater who flies internationally. He gave me a visitor’smap of Dublin and showed me all the areas a tourist needsto see. Two days later, on an overnight in Scranton, I wasin an Irish pub, where the Irish bartender had just movedto the United States 48 hours earlier. He recommendedtwo or three affordable hotels to stay in, wrote down thenames of pubs and different places I needed to visit, andgave me some contact names in Dublin.

Without too much effort I now have my weekend tripplanned! I’ve purchased my ticket for the Guinness Fac-tory tour (at a 10 percent discount, because I bought itonline), I have a map of the city, and I know where I’mgoing to stay. All I need to do is get on the plane and de-cide if I am willing to splurge and pay for first class.

If you truly want to travel, talk to people. Chances are,someone you know has been somewhere you want to visit.Initially, I had no intention of visiting Dublin, but aftertwo chance meetings, I have a great affordable weekendplanned (with little effort or research on my part). One ofthe best benefits we have working for an airline is that wecan fly for free. Take advantage, and go somewhere!

The non-revving FA comes up front to tell me whatshe saw and heard. Her professional opinion: “This guy’smain problem is that he doesn’t know when to shut up.”

I’m not sending my FA back there again anyway (espe-cially if the passenger in question is already agitated withher). I’ve made my decision, and he’s not doing any moretalking (and no one is talking to—or even looking at—him).So I decide that three people in uniform at the front of theplane is a pretty good deterrent to any further foolishness,and we’ll let the professionals handle it when they arrive.

Over 20 minutes pass.We have a security situation involving verbal threats

on an airplane at Reagan National Airport, and the betterpart of a half-hour goes by before the cavalry arrives. Insix minutes you can win the gold medal in wrestling at theOlympics. There won’t be 20 minutes of solid action inthe entirety of the next UCF pay-per-view event. Bottomline: A lot of bad things can happen in 20 minutes. Buteverything is still nice and calm when they arrive.

The law enforcement officer comes on board, asks theflight attendant what happened, and then goes to the backof the aircraft, talks to the passenger in question, and tellshim he is being taken off the flight. The man comes for-ward, proclaiming total and complete innocence. As he’sleaving, he tells me over the officer’s shoulder: “Captain, Ijust want you to know this is her fault,” pointing at the FA.“I didn’t do anything.”

I say nothing. She says nothing. Off he goes.The officer comes back on to take statements from

the other passengers seated nearby the individual in ques-tion and then departs. We take his bags off, I watch thepassenger in question get in the back of the squad car totake a little ride, and we make all the necessary coordinat-ing calls with Operations.

Ready to go at last, we close up and I switch on thePA: “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the delay. Un-fortunately there are certain actions and statements thatare unacceptable aboard an aircraft. We will now continueour service to Philadelphia . . . the City of Brotherly Love.”

Philly is on a ground delay, and after 15 more minuteswe depart.

(Quiz Answer: This is a Level 1 Threat. Ref: Air Wis-consin Flight Operations Manual Section 6 12.6.)

From the Backseat W

CONFIDENTIALMEDICAL ADVICE

Contact ALPA Aeromedi-cal at (303) 341-4435.Have your ALPA member-ship number available.Completely confidential.

W

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Used with permission by Capt. Kurt Heilbronn, Pinnacle AirlinesEdited and modified by Capt. Ben Fosse, Air Wisconsin Airlines

Remember in systems class when you were told stories ofpeople saying, “Where is it going now?” Lately, people aresaying “Where are we going now?” Safety newsletters docu-ment problems with DCA, PHL, and other locations wherecrews have gone astray because of misunderstanding clear-ances—a breakdown in communications. While control-lers sometimes call us by the wrong call sign, or issue vagueinstructions, it is our responsibility to question anythingwe do not understand. Perhaps you think you are too coolto ask; maybe you think the first officer will laugh if youask; maybe you think professionals don’t ask. Whatever thehang-up, get over it! The true professional will ask. Justcheck your friendly FCM, FOM, AIM, or FARs and seethe need for clarifying:

From FOM: Section 3.8.3A cross-check between pilots must be made followingany clearance or instruction issued by ATC, ApproachControl, etc., to ensure complete understanding by bothpilots. If there is even the slightest doubt about anATC clearance or instructions, pilots MUST seek clari-fication. Do not execute someone else’s clearance.

The need to ask for verification shows up many placesin FAA and Company literature. In the real world, depar-ture procedure confusion has occurred because of non-standard phraseology, lack of understanding, and lack ofclarification from crews. Apparently, the phrase “clearedon course” has been used. I have heard this a few timesand knew it was ambiguous, so I asked for clarification.After extensive research I have verified that there is nosuch phrase in any handbook or glossary. Don’t guess—get clarification.

There may be a perception that your job is just a step-ping stone. Why should I care now? If you have not no-ticed, the world has changed. Regional airlines are a careerchoice. Even if you plan on moving on to something dif-ferent in the future, how professional you are here will makea great difference in your success. The reputation of ourwork will precede us.

If you walk away from this article with nothing else, Ihope you will ask questions when you are not sure. Notonly questions of ATC, but question each other as neededto be sure that we are clear on what we are to do. Clearcommunication and accurate execution is the goal. This isa job of perfection. Being human we make mistakes. Wemake mistakes, but we need to recognize and correct them.Aim for perfection.

Mysteries of Communication and Clearances

Pick up the FARs, AIM, FOM, and other publications,and review them on a regular basis. My goal is to provide afew related snippets of these publications to further under-standing. We can be the best out there among our peers inother airlines. I hope by pulling various items from severalsources into one document that a better picture emerges.

An example of the need for clarification comes fromour FOM.

3.8.1 Air Traffic Control ClearancesIt is Company policy to write down all Air Traffic Con-trol (ATC) clearances when practical. An ATC clearancereceived on the ground prior to departure must be cop-ied in writing, and will be read back to ensure that ithas been correctly received.

The previous section does not mention that you shouldgive your heading, altitudes, and speed on every frequencychange. This is done in response to a clearance being re-ceived. Note that the word “clearance” is emphasized inthe previous section. Do you know when you have receiveda clearance and when you have not? So, when do you get aclearance? Initial clearance from clearance delivery, whenyou are cleared for an approach, and any time a change ismade in your altitude, speed, or heading/route are clear-ances. Let us look at the definition of a clearance, see whata handoff is, and see how this affects efficient communi-cation in a busy terminal environment.

Air Traffic Clearance: An authorization by air traffic con-trol for the purpose of preventing collision between known aircraft,for an aircraft to proceed under specified traffic conditions withincontrolled airspace. The pilot in command of an aircraft may notdeviate from the provisions of visual flight rules (VFR) or instru-ment flight rules (IFR) air traffic clearance except in an emergencyor unless an amended clearance has been obtained. . . . (Source:Pilot Controller Glossary)

While the definition in the Pilot Controller Glossarycontains additional information, the excerpt covers twoimportant points. First, a deviation requires an amendment.Additionally, a deviation from an ATC clearance requires acompany report. More important, a clearance consists of“conditions.” These conditions are altitude, course (e.g.,filed route, heading, direct, holding, etc.), and speed. Lat-eral separation is three miles in a terminal area (within 40nm of radar antenna) or five miles (beyond 40 nm fromradar antenna). En route (center) separation is five miles.Longitudinal separation is dependent on aircraft class: heavybehind a heavy is 4 NM; large/heavy behind a 757 is 5NM; small behind a 757 is 5 miles; and small/large behinda heavy is 5 miles. Of course, it is always valid to have1,000-foot vertical separation. If you watch the TCAS as

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Wyou fly, you will see these distances. This also will help youunderstand why we are sped up and slowed down at vari-ous times to fit into the proper spacing. It also underlinesthe need to be prompt with speed changes to assist in sepa-ration. Flow control requires in-trail spacing for weatheror traffic where normal acceptance rates at a particular air-port have been impacted. This may increase the above lon-gitudinal spacing.

Since a clearance involves an altitude, course, or speed,it is easy to differentiate it from a handoff. What is ahandoff ? Everyone has surely heard the controller ask foran aircraft to try again because they were on the landline.So, for those who think the controller was ordering pizza,here is what that really means: The controller was talkingon a direct connection to another controller to coordinatea transfer of control of an aircraft. A handoff also occursin the tower in a more manual process. Clearance handsthe information to ground, ground to the local controller(tower), and the local control sends you to departure. Anytime a handoff occurs, information about your flight istransferred. The following excerpt from the Air TrafficControl Handbook (7110.65) notes the type of informa-tion relayed and agreed upon:

5-4-5 Transferring Controller HandoffThe transferring controller shall:a. Complete a radar handoff prior to an aircraft’s enter-

ing the airspace delegated to the receiving controller.Reference—FAAO 7110.65, Coordinate Use of Airspace, para-graph 2-1-14.FAAO 7110.65, Control Transfer, paragraph 2-1-15.FAAO 7110.65, Receiving Controller Handoff,paragraph 5-4-6.

b. Verbally obtain the receiving controller’s approval priorto making any changes to an aircraft’s flight path, alti-tude, or data block information while the handoff isbeing initiated or after acceptance, unless otherwisespecified by an LOA or a facility directive.

c. Ensure that, prior to transferring communications:1. Potential violations of adjacent airspace and po-

tential conflicts between aircraft in their own areaof jurisdiction are resolved.

2. Necessary coordination has been accomplishedwith all controllers through whose area of juris-diction the aircraft will pass prior to entering thereceiving controller’s area of jurisdiction, exceptwhen such coordination is the receiving controller’sresponsibility as stated in paragraph 5-4-6, Receiv-ing Controller Handoff, and unless otherwise speci-fied by an LOA or a facility directive.

3. Restrictions issued to ensure separation are passedto the receiving controller.

d. After transferring communications, continue to com-ply with the requirements of subparagraphs c.1 and 2.

e. Comply with restrictions issued by the receiving con-troller unless otherwise coordinated.

f. Comply with the provisions of paragraph 2-1-17, Ra-dio Communications Transfer, subparagraphs a and bto the extent possible, transfer communications whenthe transfer of radar identification has been accepted.

g. Advise the receiving controller of pertinent informa-tion not contained in the data block or flight progressstrip unless covered in an LOA or facility directive. Per-tinent information includes:1. Assigned heading.2. Air speed restrictions.3. Altitude information issued.4. Observed track or deviation from the last route

clearance.5. The beacon code if different from that normally

used or previously coordinated.6. Any other pertinent information.

As you can see, headings, airspeed restrictions, altitudeassignments, and other pertinent information are ex-changed. These are controller coordination events. Con-trollers are responsible for these events, besides the radiotransmissions of instructions you hear. Understanding thedifference between a handoff and a clearance allows us tosimplify communications, especially in a busy terminal area.We are not suggesting you tell each and every controllerthis information over and over. You need only tell the con-troller your present altitude to the nearest 100-foot incre-ment and if you are level, climbing, or descending to analtitude. This is done as a verification of your altitude.

3. When operating in a radar environment and noposition report is required:

Example: (Name) CENTER, (aircraft identifi-cation) AT (exact altitude or flight level); or, if ap-propriate,

Example: LEAVING (exact altitude or flightlevel) CLIMBING (or descending) TO MAIN-TAIN (altitude or flight level) OVER.

Note—Exact altitude or flight level means tothe nearest 100-foot increment. Exact altitude orflight level reports on initial contact provide ATCwith information required prior to using MODEC altitude information for separation purposes.

Source: Radio Communications Phraseology and Tech-niques: FAA-P-8740-47 AFO-800 3-85

The obvious benefit occurs in busy terminal areas suchas DCA, PHL, LGA, BOS, and so forth. Listen to the num-ber of times transmissions are blocked by someone givingextraneous information on each frequency change. PotomacApproach, for example, has a high and low sector for eacharrival. Typically from 12,000 feet down to 6,000 or 7,000

continued on page 26

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feet, you talk to one controller, and then you are handedoff to the low controller. They are in the same room, likelyside by side. A handoff occurs so they already know youare descending to 7,000, on a 030 heading, at 210 knots,for instance. Now, given this information, listen to the lowsector, and you will find a large portion of our pilots call-ing Philadelphia and saying, “Philly Approach, Air Wis-consin 1234, one-one-thousand descending 7,000, heading030, 210 knots assigned.” Get your stopwatch out and seehow long saying this takes versus “Philly approach, Air Wis-consin 1234, one-one-thousand descending 7,000.” You ask,“Don’t most pilots say the same thing?” Sure they do, itdoes not make it correct.

So, as you transition from tower to departure, depar-ture to center, low center to high altitude center sector,center to approach, high approach to low approach, andapproach to tower—avoid repeating unneeded information.

Two caveats for a handoff: First, you may be thinking,“Yeah, but last week some controller asked me for my head-ing and speed when I didn’t say it.” Or “Last week a control-ler told me to tell the next controller my speed and heading.”Yes, this does happen from time to time. Controllers arehuman as well, and they either want a clarification or theydid not get time to give information during the handoff andwant you to relay it. Second is what I call the “three-control-ler-rule.” Let’s say you are given a speed restriction on climb-out of 280 knots. You contact the center, and a while lateryet another center controller. Now, look at the TCAS andsee if you can figure out why you might still be slow. Theobvious clue might be that big black trail of smoke from theDC-9 in front of you at just about 10 miles. In this case, it islikely you still need to be speed restricted. What if you don’tsee anything? Now might be a good time to ask if the speedrestriction is required. Alas, we are all human, and a coupleof handoffs down the road, someone may have forgottento tell the next controller you were speed restricted.

We are now required to review clearances received priorto flight. This is a result of changes in route not beingcorrectly executed. Often, it is easy to assume all those ra-dials are just some ATC computer requirement to enterthe flight plan to conform to a departure. Are you willingto bet your license on a guess that a radial is direct to a fix?We recently encountered such a clearance out of the NYCarea that was somewhat convoluted and ended up takingus out to some point in space. As delivered, it would havebeen easy to assume this radial took you direct to the nextfix; it did not. Checking the charts allowed us to clarify thisrouting and get it corrected.

Before leaving clearances in general, I have occasion-ally noticed some confusion as to clearances to anotheraltitude, including those that are associated with a speedchange. You are expected to maintain certain rates ofclimb/descent and to slow or speed up as specified.

When an ATC clearance does not include the term at“pilot’s discretion” or any climb or descent restrictions,the pilot should initiate climb or descent promptly on ac-knowledgment of the clearance. Descend or climb at opti-mum rate consistent with the operating characteristics ofthe aircraft to 1,000 feet above or below the assigned alti-tude. Then attempt to descend or climb at a rate of at least500 feet per minute until the assigned altitude is reached.If at any time a climb or descent rate of at least 500 feetper minute cannot be maintained, advise ATC. Except forrequired speed reductions prior to entering an airport traf-fic area, a pilot shall advise ATC if it necessary to level offat an intermediate altitude.

If the altitude information of an ATC descent clearanceincludes a provision to cross (fix) at or cross (fix) at or above/below (altitude), the manner in which the descent is executedis at the pilot’s discretion. This authorization to descend atpilot’s discretion is applicable only to that portion of the flightto which the crossing restriction applies, and the pilot is ex-pected to comply with the crossing altitude restriction. Anyother clearance in which pilot execution is optional will in-clude the phrase “at pilot’s discretion.”

AIM: Speed AdjustmentsATC will issue speed adjustments to radar controlledaircraft to achieve or maintain required or desired spac-ing. Speed adjustments are expressed in 10-knot incre-ments of indicated airspeed. Pilots complying withspeed adjustments are expected to maintain a speedwithin plus or minus 10 knots.

If ATC determines (before an approach clearanceis issued) that it is no longer necessary to apply speedadjustment procedures, the controller will inform thepilot to resume normal speed. Approach clearances su-persede any prior speed assignments. ATC must ob-tain pilot concurrence for speed adjustments after anapproach clearance is issued. The pilot may reject aspeed adjustment by ATC if the minimum safe airspeedfor any particular operation is greater than the speedadjustment. In such cases, the pilot is expected to ad-vise ATC of the speed that will be used.

General CommunicationsProper communication goes a long way toward a prob-

lem-free and professional flight. Let us first review a sec-tion of the AIM. Some of this is basic information, but itbears repeating:

4.43.5 Radio Phraseology and Techniques (AIM)Radio communications are a critical link in the ATC sys-tem. The use of proper radio procedures enhances safetyand is the mark of a professional pilot. Standard phraseol-ogy should be adhered to at all times.

Mysteries of Communication and Clearancescontinued from page 25

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WProper radio procedures include the following:

• Use the full call sign (company name and flight number)when communicating with ATC.

• If there is any doubt about the clearance or who theclearance is for, ask for verification. Do not read backa “best guess” at a clearance and expect ATC to catchany mistakes.

• Acknowledge frequency changes, including full call sign.5. Air carriers and commuter air carriers having FAA-

authorized call signs should identify themselves bystating the complete call sign (using group form forthe numbers) and the word “heavy” if appropriate.

Radio Techniquea. Listen before you transmit. Many times you can get the

information you want through ATIS or by monitoringthe frequency. Except for a few situations where somefrequency overlap occurs, if you hear someone else talk-ing, the keying of your transmitter will be futile and youwill probably jam their receivers causing them to repeattheir call. If you have just changed frequencies, pause,listen, and make sure the frequency is clear.

b. Think before keying your transmitter. Know what youwant to say and if it is lengthy, e.g., a flight plan or IFRposition report, jot it down.

Since “listening” before transmitting was just mentioned,it is a good time to cover listening. Sterile cockpit below 10,000feet is part of the need to listen. A listening watch is requiredat all times. Sometimes we answer calls for other flights. I hadthis occur going into LGA when we first started flying there.An inbound flight answered our call for a descent to 4,000feet and ended up head on with us. It was very busy on thefrequency, and all we could do was turn to avoid the conflict.Alas, our flight numbers are very close and confusing. Usegood judgment and prioritizing to enhance listening.

AIM 4-2-4. Aircraft Call Signsa. Precautions in the Use of Call Signs.

1. Improper use of call signs can result in pilots execut-ing a clearance intended for another aircraft. Call signsshould never be abbreviated on an initial contact orat any time when other aircraft call signs have similarnumbers/sounds or identical letters/number.

SummaryRecent memos and procedure changes show there has

been a breakdown in making sure we understand our clear-ances, execute them properly (FMS, crew understanding),communicate properly and correctly (answer promptly,standard phraseology, and correct aircraft). Hopefully, theabove information has proved useful to you. Fly safe andnever be hesitant to ask for clarification from whateversources you have at your disposal. This is CRM, and it ex-tends outside the aircraft to ATC, chief pilot, assistant chiefpilots, dispatch, check airmen, and peers.

was “cleared as filed” vs. an ATC reroute. We have seen a fewexamples where the F/O obtained a reroute, but it was neverput into the FMS for whatever reason. We had a pilot devia-tion filed by ATC on a route flown by the crew to which theywere not cleared. We also saw another ASAP report where thecrew got lucky and ATC did not file a pilot deviation.

LGA Runway 22 LandingWe had an interesting event where one of our CRJs was

cleared to land on runway 22 while another airplane was clearedto take off on runway 13. Well, the runway 13 airplane delayedits takeoff for whatever reason, and our wise crew performeda go-around as United was passing through the intersection.Cleared-to-land also means cleared to go-around!

LaGuardia One Departure—Coney ClimbFlight crews operating to the “WHITE” intersection will

on occasion be cleared via the Coney Climb. A proper depar-ture briefing will indicate that after CRI VOR, you will fly a223º heading, and not proceed to the Colts Neck (COL) VOR.

Corrections to a Submitted ASAP ReportIf you need to correct or submit more information on

an ASAP report that you have submitted, please e-mail theASAP program manager. There is no need to submit a newreport. This throws off our statistical reporting, which in-cludes over 600 reports already submitted in 2008.

One-LinersWe have seen a few reports that contained only one

sentence about an incident. Your ASAP ERC, which in-cludes management, ALPA, and the FAA, will begin re-jecting some of these reports, which ultimately couldsubject you to FAA administrative action. ASAP reports mustcontain all of the details of the event as well as what you may havelearned and how you will prevent the event from happening again.

Crossing RestrictionsPlease do everything in your power to meet all of your

assigned crossing restrictions. We are still seeing entirelytoo many missed altitudes.

Lastly, below are the third-quarter submitted ASAPreports by category.

They are:

1. Course deviations: 25 reports2. FMS programming errors: 15 reports3. MEL errors: 15 reports4. Altitude deviations: 13 reports5. Release errors: 13 reports

ASAPcontinued from page 20

Fly Safe.

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by Rich ClarkeARW050 Capt. Rep

Over the last month we have hadmany calls with questions aboutthe contract. In most cases,Scheduling has made a requestthat the pilot feels is against thecontract. These situations hap-pen quite often, and your bestdefense is a thorough knowledge

of your contract. If you don’t carry a copy of the contractin your flight case, do yourself a favor and drop one in there.You never know when you’ll need to look something up.Here are the most common subjects we receive questionsabout. If you have a question about something that is notcovered, please e-mail or call your union representative andwe will find you an answer as well as add your question tothe next “Contract for Dummies” publication. Most of thesequestions apply to pilots on reserve since they are in contactwith Scheduling on a daily basis.

1. When does the company have to provide me a dayroom?a. You are entitled to a day room when the time be-

tween your actual block-in and your scheduledblock-out is 4.5 hours or more. The question mostpeople have relates to a scheduled sit of 4.5. Thecompany is not required to reserve you a hotelroom prior to your scheduled sit. If you have a 5-hour sit on your schedule but you arrive late andyour actual sit will only be 4 hours, they are notrequired to get you a hotel room. However, if youhave a 4-hour scheduled sit and you block in 30minutes early, you are entitled to a day room be-cause your actual block-in to scheduled block-out is 4.5 hours or more.

2. I am on reserve. How much rest am I required tohave between duty periods?a. If you were on reserve for the day but were not

called to fly, you are required to have 9 hours ofrest before your next duty period. You are not re-quired to answer your telephone at any time dur-ing those 9 hours.

b. If you were flying and you finish a trip in domicile,you are required to have 12 hours of rest. That be-ing said, once during any reserve sequence, Sched-uling can reduce you to 9 hours of rest as long asthey have a flight assignment for you the next day.

“Contract for Dummies”

For example, you are on reserve on Monday throughFriday. On Monday, you fly a day trip and finish inyour domicile at 2300. When you call to be released,Scheduling assigns you a trip for tomorrow with a0800 show time. This is legal because they can re-duce you from 12 hours of rest once in your se-quence of reserve from Monday through Friday. Forthe rest of the week, Scheduling must give you 12hours of rest between flight assignments.

c. When given a 12-hour rest period while on reserve,you must be available to answer your phone 2 hoursprior to the termination of the rest period. For ex-ample, you finish a trip at 2300 and are given re-serve times of 1100 the next day. You must begin toanswer your phone or pager at 0900, but you arenot required to show for any flying prior to 1100.

3. I am on reserve from Monday through Friday.Scheduling calls me on Sunday afternoon and givesme 1100–0200 reserve times for Monday, my first dayof reserve. After hanging up, Scheduling keeps call-ing me and leaving messages they are changing myreserve times for Monday morning and they havean early trip for me. Am I required to call them back?a. No. No. No. No. I can’t stress this one enough. In

this scenario you are on one of your days off onSunday. Your only responsibility is to make sureyou get reserve times for Monday morning. In fact,it is in your best interest to make sure you call themto get times if they don’t call you. Technically, with-out reserve times, you are liable to be on duty be-ginning at midnight on Monday morning. However,in this scenario you have your times and you arenot required to answer your telephone again until1100 Monday morning. I’ve had several people askme if they have to answer their phone two hoursprior to their reserve times beginning on the firstday of a reserve sequence because they’ve had morethan 12 hours of rest. Quite simply, no. The con-tract states that you must be reachable two hoursprior to the termination of your rest period “aftercompleting a flight assignment . . . on a 12-hourrest period in domicile.” This does not apply toyour first day of reserve. You are on your timeuntil your assigned reserve time passes on your firstday of reserve. Answer your phone at your ownrisk, and do not feel obligated to call Schedulingback even if their message makes it sound like youare required to call. If you want the trip, then feelfree to call back, but you certainly aren’t obligated.

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W4. I have a 0630 show and Scheduling calls me at 0700

to tell me that they have adjusted my schedule forthe day. How long can they make me work?a. Any time you have a show time that is at 0600 or

earlier, you can only be scheduled to work for 12hours. If you have a show time after 0600, you canbe scheduled for 12 hours plus the amount of timeafter 0600 that you begin your day. In the aboveexample, you begin your day at 0630. You are ableto be scheduled to work 12:30 (12 hours plus theextra 30 minutes beyond 0600 that your duty daybegan). As such you must bescheduled off duty by 1900. Ifyou began your duty day at0800, you must be scheduledoff duty by 2200 (12 hours plusthe 2 hours after 0600 that yourduty day began). There is oneexception to this rule: “A pilotmay be scheduled for one ad-ditional hour of duty for the sole purpose of dead-heading to his domicile.” This means that if youbegin your duty day at 0600, you can actually be onduty for 13 hours as long as your last leg is a dead-head to your domicile. Please don’t let Schedul-ing keep you on duty the extra hour to deadheadyou into an overnight. Keep in mind that all theserules apply to building your schedules. As long asyour schedule shows you off duty within confinesof this section of the contract, you are legal. How-ever, if during the course of the day you becomedelayed due to weather, you could wind up with amaximum 16-hour duty day. The contract onlydeals with scheduled times. Please remember thatif you are actually fatigued before you hit the 16-hour mark, you should, and are obligated to, callin fatigued.

5. I’m a little confused how much time I’m supposedto have behind the door at the hotel. Can Schedul-ing really only give me 8 hours “behind the door”?a. Yes, Scheduling must give you a minimum of 8

hours “at the hotel,” which is the term our con-tract uses, and not “behind the door.” In this sce-nario, it is important to understand your time doesnot begin until you are at the hotel, and it does notend until you leave the hotel.

b. While you can be reduced to 8 hours of time “atthe hotel,” the amount of time you must be givendepends upon how much flying you performed thatday. The standard reduced rest is 8 hours at thehotel. In other situations, follow contract section12.D.3, which states: “A pilot who actually exceeds8 hours of block time in a duty period will receiveat least 10 hours of rest at the hotel.” Addition-

ally, “A pilot who actually exceeds 8.5 hours of blocktime in a duty period will receive at least 11 hoursof rest at the hotel.” If you fly a long day withhigh block hours, please keep in mind the contrac-tually required rest requirements at the hotel. Yourcrew and your passengers will thank you for takingthe time to get some proper sleep.

As turnover in the Scheduling department increases,we will be speaking with less experienced schedulers ona regular basis. While they are supposed to know our

contract and schedule us accordingly,sometimes things fall through thecracks. If you feel that you are notbeing treated within the confines ofthe contract, please politely informthe scheduler of the contract require-ments or ask to speak to a coordina-tor. If you still feel that you are notbeing treated fairly, call your union

representative. We are here to answer your questions andhelp you when you are being treated unfairly. While wesometimes don’t have the answer you were hoping for,we will at least be able to help you understand whereyour interpretation differs from what was negotiated inthe contract.

ALPALPALPALPALPA Insurance Plans:A Insurance Plans:A Insurance Plans:A Insurance Plans:A Insurance Plans:By Pilots, FBy Pilots, FBy Pilots, FBy Pilots, FBy Pilots, For Pilotsor Pilotsor Pilotsor Pilotsor Pilots

Look to ALPA First for All the Protection You NeedAs a Pilot and a Family Provider!

Safety and security arSafety and security arSafety and security arSafety and security arSafety and security areeeeeour primarour primarour primarour primarour primary focus . . .y focus . . .y focus . . .y focus . . .y focus . . .From representation inWashington, DC, andaviation safety programs tovital protection programsextending greater securityto you and your family—you trust the services weprovide.

Ask for your FREE ALPFREE ALPFREE ALPFREE ALPFREE ALPAAAAAInsurance InformationInsurance InformationInsurance InformationInsurance InformationInsurance InformationKit, Kit, Kit, Kit, Kit, which includesfeatures, eligibility,renewability, limitations,and exclusions for theplans that interest you.

These ALPA plans represent afull list of truly affordableprotection opportunitiesdesigned and priced to benefityou as a member:

ALPA Loss of License/Loss ofLicense Plus InsuranceALPA Lump-Sum Loss ofLicense InsuranceALPA Group Term LifeInsuranceALPA Group 10-Year LevelTerm Life InsuranceALPA Group Short-TermDisability InsuranceALPA Accidental Death andDismemberment InsuranceALPA Long-Term CareInsurance

Call TCall TCall TCall TCall Toll-Foll-Foll-Foll-Foll-Frrrrree Tee Tee Tee Tee Today: 1-800-746-oday: 1-800-746-oday: 1-800-746-oday: 1-800-746-oday: 1-800-746-ALPALPALPALPALPAAAAAOr visit Or visit Or visit Or visit Or visit crcrcrcrcrewroom.alpa.orewroom.alpa.orewroom.alpa.orewroom.alpa.orewroom.alpa.orggggg

Go to “Member Benefits” and click “Insurance Programs.”

If you still feel that youare not being treatedfairly, call your unionrepresentative.

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30

SudokuPuzzle 1 Puzzle 2

(Solutions on page 32.)

31

WCrossword Puzzle (The answers are on page 32.)

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32

Sudoku puzzle 1 solution.

Sudoku puzzle 2 solution.

Crossword puzzle solution.

The Ultimate iPod Playlist“Flight”

(Approximate Running Time 1:30)

1. Ride of the Valkyries Richard Wagner2. Danger Zone Kenny Loggins3. Flying High Again Ozzy Osbourne4. Higher Creed5. Learning to Fly Pink Floyd6. Jet Airliner Steve Miller Band7. Fly to the Angels Slaughter8. Fly Away Lenny Kravitz9. Fly by Night Rush10. Aces High Iron Maiden11. Dreams Van Halen12. Time for Me to Fly REO Speedwagon13. Learn to Fly Foo Fighters14. Come Fly with Me Frank Sinatra15. Aeroplane Red Hot Chili Peppers16. Space Oddity David Bowie17. Fly Sugar Ray18. High Enough Damn Yankees19. Fly Me Courageous Drivin’ and Cryin’20. Learning to Fly Tom Petty21. I’m a Pilot Dos Gringos

Alternates (or additions) to consider:Beat Up Old Jetliner Bob Rivers (for #6)Major Tom Peter Schilling (for #16)Night Flight Led ZeppelinMagic Carpet Ride SteppenwolfRocket Man Elton John

Maybe you have a playlist that you’d like to share in the nextmagazine—a good one for running or motivating you to workout on broken equipment in a dilapidated hotel fitness cen-ter, maybe some Zen relaxation tunes—whatever, just for-ward it to arw@alpa.org so that we can print it for everyoneto assemble and enjoy.

If you’d like to have an adapter that connects your iPod di-rectly to the a/c headset jack, for your weekend, or generalaviation flying, then contact Thorne Saylor for purchase in-formation, thorne@raven33.com or (317) 903-8950.

The Ultimate iPod PlaylistThe following playlist was built around a relaxed theme offlying and is guaranteed to inspire and lift your spirits.

Protect your professional interests in Washington, DC:

Support ALPA-PAC today!To sign up for ALPA-PAC checkoff—our automatic payroll deduction program for PAC donations—just complete thecheckoff authorization card below. Detach this page from this publication, fold as indicated, seal with tape, and drop itin the mailbox. The card is preaddressed and postage-paid. ALPA will send your authorization card to the company forprocessing as soon as it is received. Please allow 4-6 weeks for the company to begin the deductions from yourpaycheck.

To make a direct donation to ALPA-PAC, make your check payable to: ALPA-PAC. Mail it to ALPA-PAC, 1625 Massa-chusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036.

U.S. ALPA members may make voluntary contributions of any amount to ALPA-PAC at any time. Donations are not taxdeductible for federal income tax purposes, and are not a condition of membership in ALPA.

TO:_______________________(Airline Name)

I hereby authorize and direct the abovenamed company to deduct theindicated amount of my gross earningsper month and to remit that amount tothe Air Line Pilots Association PoliticalAction Committee (ALPA-PAC).

♦ This authorization is voluntarily made based on my specific understanding that:• the signing of this authorization card and the making of these voluntary contributions

are not conditions of membership in the union or of employment by my employer;• any guideline amount suggested by ALPA-PAC or its representatives is only a sug-

gestion and I may contribute more or less and will not be favored or disadvantagedby the union for doing so;

• I may refuse to contribute without reprisal;• ALPA-PAC, which is connected with the Air Line Pilots Association, Interna-

tional may use the money it receives for political purposes including but notlimited to making contributions to and expenditures for candidates for federalelected offices;

ALPA-PAC CHECKOFF AUTHORIZATION CARD

Name: __________________________________________________________________________(Please Print) Last First MI

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Terminate Deductions of $ _________________ Per Month

Signature: ______________________________ Date: ___________________________________

• this authorization shall remain in full force and effect until revoked in writing by me;• contributions to ALPA-PAC are not tax deductible; and• membership in ALPA-PAC clubs is based on total PAC contributions received by

ALPA-PAC during a calendar year (Jan. 1–Dec. 31).♦ I further certify that I am either a United States citizen or a foreign national lawfully admit-

ted to the United States for permanent residence as defined by Section 101(a)(20) of theImmigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20)).

♦ Authorized by Air Line Pilots Association, International on behalf of a fundraising effort forAir Line Pilots Association Political Action Committee.

ALPA-PAC Membership ClubsRegular Members

Annual contributions of $1.00–$99.99(up to $8.32 per month on checkoff)

Century Club MembersAnnual contributions of $100–$239.99($8.34–$19.98 per month on checkoff)

Capitol Club MembersAnnual contributions of $240–$499.99($20–$41.66 per month on checkoff)

President’s CircleAnnual contributions of $500 and more

($41.68 per month and over on checkoff)

01/08

For information, please contact the ALPA Government Affairs Department at (202) 797-4033 or governmentaffairs@alpa.org.

ALPA-PAC: Professional Insurance for ALPA MembersALPA-PAC helps elect pro-pilot candidates to Congress, educate lawmakers about pilots’

professional concerns, and enhance ALPA’s ability to achieve its legislative goals.

ALPA-PAC is made up of voluntary contributions from U.S. ALPA members.

ALPA-PAC provides financial assistance to the campaigns of representatives and senatorswho will support and defend the professional interests of ALPA pilots.

ALPA-PAC is the only way ALPA National participates in the federal election process;ALPA national does not use any member dues money for this purpose.

ALPA-PAC is one of the most bipartisan labor PACs in Washington, DC. It supports candidatesfrom all political parties and does not base its support on political party affiliation.

ALPA-PAC considers only legislative issues of professional interest to its members. Itdoes not consider issues that are not relevant to ALPA or its representation of airline pilots.

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MEC Updates:800-ALPA-ARW(800-257-2279)

ALPA:888-FLY-ALPAalpa.org, crewroom.alpa.org

AWAC Pilot Information:awacpilots.com

ARW MEC Portal:awacALPA.org(For assistance, call 1-888-359-2572, 3, 3.) Prompt 1 if you knowyour ALPA number, or prompt 2 tospeak to an ALPA rep; available0900–1700 Eastern Time)

ALPA Aeromedical:303-341-4435

The Local Executive Council officers areelected by the pilots of their respectivedomicile(s).

The Master Executive Council consists ofthe captain and F/O rep of each council.

MEC officers are elected by the MEC.

ALPA Accident Hotline:202-797-4180 or 703-892-4180

MEC OFFICERS arwmec@alpa.orgChairman Joe Ellis 757-754-7687 Joe.Ellis@alpa.orgVice Chairman Mark Lockwood 386-795-0874 Mark.Lockwood@alpa.orgSecretary-Treasurer John Schumacher 765-714-0833 John.Schumacher@alpa.org

LEC 49 (DCA, RDU) lec49@alpa.orgChair & Captain Rep Jim Drapeau 202-431-8261 Jim.Drapeau@alpa.orgInterim F/O Rep Norm Allaby 203-512-2150 Norman.Allaby@alpa.orgSecretary-Treasurer Jared Armstrong 608-449-3853 Jared.Armstrong@alpa.org

LEC 50 (LGA, ORF) lec50@alpa.orgChair & Captain Rep Rich Clarke 757-478-6319 Richard.Clarke@alpa.orgVice Chair & F/O Rep Chris Suhs 715-281-7847 Chris.Suhs@alpa.orgSecretary-Treasurer Blake Drader 757-395-9617 Blake.Drader@alpa.org

LEC 51 (PHL) lec51@alpa.orgChair & Captain Rep Steve Kern 623-229-1999 Steve.Kern@alpa.orgVice Chair & F/O Rep Mark Lockwood 386-795-0874 Mark.Lockwood@alpa.orgSecretary-Treasurer Thorne Saylor 317-903-8950 Thorne.Saylor@alpa.org

AEROMEDICAL arwaeromedical@alpa.orgChairman Blake Drader 757-395-9617 Blake.Drader@alpa.org

ALPA CONTRACT Jane Schraft (O) 952-853-2363 612-868-4870 Jane.Schraft@alpa.orgADMINISTRATOR (F) 952-853-2300

ALPA LEGAL Barb Schilling (O) 952-853-2362 Barb.Schilling@alpa.orgSECRETARY (F) 952-853-2300

ASAP arwasap@alpa.orgPrimary [vacant]Secondary Dan Lehenbauer 917-207-5277 dlehen@sbcglobal.net

CENTRAL AIR (AI) Accident Investigation Member • (S) Safety Member arwsafety@alpa.orgSAFETY Chair (AI) (S) Gene Rambo 202-674-1445 generambo@msn.com

(AI) (S) John Jester 571-239-9566 c172drv@gmail.com(AI) Ron Stocki 406-690-4061 ron@stocki.com(S) Richard Swindell 317-697-5113 Richard.Swindell@alpa.org(AI) (S) Ryan von Trapp 423-836-0733 rvontrapp@hotmail.com

COMMITTEE POSITION NAME HOME CELL E-MAIL

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COMMITTEE POSITION NAME HOME CELL E-MAILCOMMUNICATIONS arwcommunications@alpa.org

Chairman Richard Swindell 317-697-5113 Richard.Swindell@alpa.orgDCA Norm Allaby 203-512-2150 Norman.Allaby@alpa.orgPHL Tony Denault 315-778-0143 tonydenault@gmail.comRDU Thorne Saylor 317-903-8950 Thorne.Saylor@alpa.orgWebmaster Matt Wise 386-871-3802 wise.matthew@gmail.com

CIRP Chairman Tim Kosloski 920-422-0429

FURLOUGH arwfurlough@alpa.orgChairman Joel Barman 704-953-9200 Joel@Barman.ws

Garrett Keethler 253-906-3313 gak8928@hotmail.com[vacant]Richard Swindell 317-697-5113 Richard.Swindell@alpa.org

GRIEVANCE arwgrievance@alpa.orgChairman Bill Patterson 847-650-1736 Bill.Patterson@alpa.org

Carl Fleming 920-725-8526 920-475-0943 pang@aol.com[vacant]

GRIEVANCE Chairman [vacant]REVIEW PANEL [vacant]

[vacant]

HOTEL arwhotels@alpa.orgChairman Tim Vick 608-877-1708 Timothyvick@cs.comDCA Jeff Pruett 507-398-2700 Jspruett@lycos.com

JUMPSEAT arwjumpseat@alpa.orgChairman Rob Frank 410-845-8964 arwjumpseat@alpa.org

Charles Roos 386-748-7822 c.j.roos7@gmail.com

MEMBERSHIP arwmembership@alpa.orgChairman [vacant]

[vacant]

NEGOTIATING arwnegotiations@alpa.orgChairman [vacant]Member Bill Patterson 847-650-1763 bill.patterson@alpa.org

[vacant]

PILOT ASSISTANCE arwassistance@alpa.orgChairman Mitch Madison 303-378-0951 mitchmadison@yahoo.com

Bill Wrobleski 920-830-7883 920-205-0902 wwrob@new.rr.com

PROFESSIONAL arwprostands@alpa.orgSTANDARDS Chairman Jayme Schappals 574-361-3115 jayme.schappals@alpa.org

RETIREMENT AND arwr&i@alpa.orgINSURANCE Chairman Todd Hannemann 720-480-8257 hannemann7@juno.com

Mitch Madison 303-378-0951 mitchmadison@yahoo.comDavid Wilcox 615-904-8977 bugout71@bellsouth.net

Plan Administrator Gary Miller [retired] 309-796-1051 563-650-0454 gmiller1@mchsi.com (401[k]) 888-417-9512

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Hey!Do you have an interest in or knowledge of computers, photography, Web-based video,

reading, writing, editing, journalism, or publishing? Or just sending and receiving e-mails

or talking on the phone? If so, the Communications Committee needs your help.

We need volunteers for all of the above positions, and any talent and time you can

lend is greatly appreciated by the MEC and your fellow pilots. Contact Richard Swindell,

Communications chairman, at richard.swindell@alpa.org.

COMMITTEE POSITION NAME HOME CELL E-MAILSCHEDULING arwscheduling@alpa.org

Chairman Brian Milburn 386-235-5662 brian.milburn@yahoo.comDCA Ken Reinert 703-862-0596 kreinert@speedbunny.netLGA Josh Foley 217-390-5102 joshuafoley2@yahoo.comORF Reed Donoghue 978-387-2248 reeddonoghue@gmail.comPHL Michael Niemczyk 817-715-6252 mikeniemczyk@yahoo.comRDU Shaun Williams 218-779-6681 dswpilot@yahoo.com

SECURITY arwsecurity@alpa.orgChairman [vacant]

SYSTEM BOARD Mick Jones 920-205-2211 velocity@new.rr.comOF ADJUSTMENT Mitch Madison 303-378-0951 mitchmadison@yahoo.com

[vacant]

TRAINING AND arwtraining@alpa.orgTESTING Chairman Ryan von Trapp 423-836-0733 rvontrapp@hotmail.com

DCA - Captain [vacant]DCA - F/O Kristen Hayden 540-287-2802 khayden78@aol.comORF - Captain Todd Hannemann 720-480-8257 hannemann7@juno.comORF - F/O Bradley Gray 386-871-1040 920-749-0266 gray190@hotmail.comPHL - Captain Robert Warthen 303-378-9475 wwarthen@aol.comPHL - F/O Morgan Scribner 920-725-6242 920-420-8430 svergan701@yahoo.com

UNIFORM Chairman [vacant]

VACANCIES: Contact your local captain F/O rep if you are interested in filling a vacancy.Contact john.schumacher@alpa.org with changes.

is the cornerstoneof solidarity!

Communication

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Joe EllisChairman

Mark LockwoodVice Chairman

John SchumacherSecretary-Treasurer

Jim DrapeauChairman

Norm AllabyVice Chairman

Jared ArmstrongSecretary-Treasurer

Rich ClarkeChairman Chris Shus

Vice Chairman

Blake DraderSecretary-Treasurer

Steve KernChairman

Mark LockwoodVice Chairman

Thorne SaylorSecretary-Treasurer

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Unlike all other AWAC ALPA committees, the Negotiating Committee is the onlyone that requires not just the chairperson to be elected by the MEC, but everymember appointed to it. If you are interested in volunteering for this pivotalcommittee, please contact Joe Ellis, MEC chairman, and Bill Patterson, GrievanceCommittee chairman and Negotiating Committee member, to discuss yourexperience and compatibility for the opportunity to serve the pilot group.

Qualifications for Chairman: Negotiating ExperienceCommittee ExperienceExtensive Knowledge of the ContractRespect and Trust of Your Fellow Pilots

The Negotiating Committee chair is not an entry-level position, nor are itsmembers. While volunteerism is always appreciated and utilized to the greatestextent possible, the selection of the Negotiating Committee members will belimited to highly experienced individuals who are well motivated to undertakethis effort on the union’s behalf.

Negotiations training, seminars, and experience building will commence uponappointment to the ARW Negotiating Committee, and prospective candidatesshould be willing to commit a significant amount of time to the committee andanticipate a considerable workload and intensity as well.

As you know, our current CBA expires September 2011; however, the preparationand planning for the recovery of what we surrendered and the drive to achievethe vision of our future begins now.

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ALPA Code of EthicsThe tenets of this Code shall apply to all members without regard to gender.

1. An Air Line Pilot will keep uppermost in his mind that the safety, comfort, and well-being ofthe passengers who entrust their lives to him are his first and greatest responsibility.

2. An Air Line Pilot will faithfully discharge the duty he owes the airline which employs him andwhose salary makes possible his way of life.

3. An Air Line Pilot will accept the responsibilities as well as the rewards of command, and willat all times so conduct himself both on duty and off as to instill and merit the confidence andrespect of his crew, his fellow employees and his associates within the profession.

4. An Air Line Pilot will conduct his affairs with other members of the profession and with ALPAin such a manner as to bring credit to the profession and ALPA as well as to himself.

5. To an Air Line Pilot the honor of his profession is dear, and he will remember that his owncharacter and conduct reflect honor or dishonor upon the profession.

Having endeavored to his utmost to faithfully fulfill the obligations of the ALPA Code of Ethicsand Canons for the Guidance of Air Line Pilots, a pilot may consider himself worthy to be called. . . an airline pilot.