Allied Pilots Association

Communications Committee Chair CA Andy Fierro discusses lessons learned with Negotiating Committee Chair CA Adam Rutherford and DCA Domicile Chair CA Chris Wachter, who chaired the Negotiating Committee when the 2023 contract was ratified. Their conversation focuses on APA's efforts to become a more adaptive, collaborative, and – most importantly – aligned institution.

Investor Relations Committee Chair CA Dennis Tajer addresses APA's ongoing outreach with Wall Street and how his committee, and APA's broader efforts, serve to amplify the issues we face at American for investors and analysts.

Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with Captain's Authority Committee Chair CA Carl Jackson about how his committee monitors and documents instances of pilot pushing by gate agents and customer service managers. If you need help during a challenging situation, call the Captain's Authority Hotline: 817-302-2338. If you want to tell the committee about an incident after t...

APA Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with CA Cody Lasker and FO Mike Roman about how the National Communications Network (NCN) facilitates face-to-face conversations throughout the system so union leadership can hear directly from line pilots and vice versa. They also discuss how pilots can become NCN volunteers, which CA Lasker describes as a "a very low-threat, high...

In the latest episode of our “ Positive Rate ” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan speaks with LGA CA Matt Sheehan, who serves on the board of the charitable organization Above the Clouds . The organization's stated mission: “Above the Clouds delivers joy and hope through the wonder of flight to children and teens who have a serious illness or disabi...

Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with FO Connor Denton, Information Technology Steering Committee Chair, about the continuing evolution of the APA Pilot app. FO Denton highlights the app's extensive functionality and notes the union will be rolling out the next iteration, APA Pilot 3.0, in the coming months. The new version will reflect member feedback with what he te...

In the latest episode of our “ Positive Rate ” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with CA Bridget Van Scoy, Safety Committee Deputy Chair-Smoke Odor and Fumes Subcommittee, about the ongoing collaboration between APA and American Airlines to identify root causes of smoke, odor, and fume events, reduce their frequency, and effect change at the OEM le...

Communications Committee Deputy Chair CA Chris Ferguson talks with Scheduling Committee Deputy Chair FO Mikael Landau about how the Scheduling Committee and Scheduling Department address a broad range of scheduling-related issues for pilots involving PBS, DOTC, TTS, vacation, Mutual Base Exchange, TDYs, vacancies, and pairing analysis.

In this episode, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with Security Committee Chair CA Paul Nelson, who details how the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks "profoundly changed the security environment." He affirms the committee's close collaboration with its Air Line Pilots Association peers and notes the committee maintains "a good line of communication" with American Airl...

In the latest episode of our “Positive Rate” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair CA Chris Ferguson talks to Investor Relations Committee Chair CA Dennis Tajer about what we can expect when American Airlines reports second-quarter earnings on July 24. “We are the perennial bronze-medal holder at this point in time,” he said. “That's unacceptable.” Note...

In the latest episode of our “ Positive Rate ” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair CA Chris Ferguson talks with Contract Compliance Committee Chair CA Jason Saxer about the committee's role in defending the Collective Bargaining Agreement, remedying errors, educating the membership, and other contract-related services. Each episode of “Positive Rate” features APA...

In the latest episode of our “Positive Rate” podcast, Communications Committee member CA Chris Ferguson talks with FO Vern Reaser, Aeromedical Committee Deputy Chair-Sudden Grief Response Program (SGRP), about how SGRP assists APA members and their families in the event of sudden death. FO Reaser emphasizes the importance of having a checklist to ensure you and your family are appropri...

APA Government Affairs Committee Chair FO Brian Bell talks about how the committee represents our pilots' interests on Capitol Hill. FO Bell cites the importance of contributing to the APA Political Action Committee, emphasizing that “it's your way to help me defend the profession.” He also characterizes the Benton House, APA's base of operations on Capitol Hill, as “one of the m...

Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with CA Kevin Macelhaney, Aeromedical Committee Deputy Chair-Pilot Occupational Health, about the subcommittee's efforts to mitigate occupational hazards such as space weather, radiation, and fume events.

Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with Aeromedical Committee Chair CA Rondeau Flynn about pilot mental health. CA Flynn details how APA's robust peer-support network helps our members navigate situations that can affect their mental health, and he emphasizes that mental health should be considered in the same light as physical health, with both existing along a spectru...

Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with Membership Committee Deputy Chair-Military Affairs Subcommittee CA Chris Krahulec and subcommittee member CA Josh Daneault about APA's support of its military pilots. The subcommittee's primary areas of focus: educate military pilots on their rights and responsibilities under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Righ...

In the latest episode of our “ Positive Rate ” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with Safety Committee Deputy Chair CA Casey Ronayne about how FOQA works to improve safety in two primary ways — through crew contacts to discuss variance events, and through aggregate data analysis to identify trends and emerging threats. CA Ronayne notes that u...

In the latest episode of our “Positive Rate” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with CA Mike Madigan, Safety Committee Deputy Chair-Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). ASAP relies on voluntary self-disclosure of inadvertent violations and safety concerns and is nonpunitive. CA Madigan details ASAP's origins, the dramatic impact it has had on avia...

In the latest episode of our “ Positive Rate ” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with FO Ken Hagan, Aeromedical Committee Deputy Chair-Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP). CIRP's mission is to lessen the psychological impact of on-the-job accidents and incidents on crewmembers and their families and to accelerate normal recovery from those ev...

Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with FO Pete Gillespie, Aeromedical Committee Deputy Chair-Project Wingman. FO Gillespie details the origins of Project Wingman and the vital role it plays in APA's peer-support network.

In this episode, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with CA Gavin Tade, who serves on the Safety Committee's Safety Operations Subcommittee. CA Tade enumerates the widely varying issues the subcommittee deals with such as tow bar breakages, the hazards that lithium batteries pose, aircraft damage through contact with catering and deicing trucks, and other operational co...

In the latest episode of our “Positive Rate” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with CLT NATCA President Anthony Schifano and CLT NATCA Vice President Justin Garay about the service air traffic controllers provide as a vital part of the national aviation system. The NATCA officials give an overview of their union and detail the tools controllers use...

In the latest episode of our “Positive Rate” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with Aeromedical Committee Deputy Chair CA Jeff Leisten, who oversees the Disabled Pilots Awareness Subcommittee (DPASC). They discuss everything DPASC volunteers do to support pilots on long-tern disability, a group in which 70 percent of our members will find themselve...

In our latest episode, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan, who also chairs the Family Awareness Committee, talks with Family Awareness Deputy Chair CA Jerry Gemma about the newly established Spouse Support Network.

In the latest episode of our “Positive Rate” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with Lori Copeland, the widow of American Airlines FO Aaron (Kyle) Copeland and founder of Wing 2 Wing. As a safety net and support group for pilots on long-term disability, Wing 2 Wing works hand in hand with APA and American Airlines. Each episode of “Positive Ra...