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ALPA members look what your union did.

It's too late, the damage has been done. Even if ALPA "retracted" their objection it won't matter, the concern has already registered with the Senators. The best thing we can do is hit ALPA in the pocket, stop doing business with companies that employ their members. Here is the list:

Air Transat
Air Transport International
Air Wisconsin
Alaska
Atlantic Southeast
Bearskin
Calm Air
Canadian North
CanJet
CommutAir
Compass
Delta
Endeavor Air
Envoy Air
ExpressJet
FedEx Express
First Air
Hawaiian
Island Air
Jazz
JetBlue
Kelowna Flightcraft
Mesa Air Group
Piedmont
PSA
Spirit
Sun Country
Trans States
United
Wasaya

Fly with a company not on this list. Ship with a company not on this list. And tell every pilot friend you know.
 
The bus drivers at ALPA just po'd the majority of aviation advocates in DC.

When you call me a bus driver, it tells me that you do not have a clue. I will not defend ALPA on this, but I will defend the thousands of professional pilots, union and non-union that go to work to fly 100,000's of people a day. They fly businessmen to clients, families to re-unions, vacationers to fun, and your Aircraft Spruce package to you. You owe all of us "bus drivers" an apology.
 
It's too late, the damage has been done. Even if ALPA "retracted" their objection it won't matter, the concern has already registered with the Senators. The best thing we can do is hit ALPA in the pocket, stop doing business with companies that employ their members. Here is the list:

Air Transat
Air Transport International
Air Wisconsin
Alaska
Atlantic Southeast
Bearskin
Calm Air
Canadian North
CanJet
CommutAir
Compass
Delta
Endeavor Air
Envoy Air
ExpressJet
FedEx Express
First Air
Hawaiian
Island Air
Jazz
JetBlue
Kelowna Flightcraft
Mesa Air Group
Piedmont
PSA
Spirit
Sun Country
Trans States
United
Wasaya

Fly with a company not on this list. Ship with a company not on this list. And tell every pilot friend you know.

Who's left? How long can you keep this up? Will the companies and the workers of the companies even notice?
 
When you call me a bus driver, it tells me that you do not have a clue. I will not defend ALPA on this, but I will defend the thousands of professional pilots, union and non-union that go to work to fly 100,000's of people a day. They fly businessmen to clients, families to re-unions, vacationers to fun, and your Aircraft Spruce package to you. You owe all of us "bus drivers" an apology.
Agreed, I do my apologies to a great profession that ALPA is tarnishing.

So pardon my anger, I've been working hard for PBR-2 and personally requested it include the 3rd class medical reform (which had been filed seperately the year before) and not because I can't pass a medical but because GA is not even holding it's own in the US but no ALPA just crapped on the effort. Not to mention the best friend pilot's and the aviation industry has had in Washington for a very long time, the very Aviation leadership that made it possible for for GA to rebuild and then with the PBR to somewhat level the field and protect the very pilots that ALPA claims to represent, so demand ALPA retract and we'll be even.

Sorry I'm mad but someone needs to show me where ALPA cares about GA...
 
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The last 15 years or so, ALPA failed to listen to its members. Supported age 65 against the will of the majority, agreed to let Mgmt gut pay, benefits, and retirement to stave off bankruptcy post 9/11. It didn't help. Most lost hard earned lucrative retirements bought with the blood and sweat of their predecessors. The leadership at ALPA seems more and more disconnected from its members and seems only interested in collecting dues from its members to feed the machine in Washington. No ALPA national leader has returned to fly the line in my 20 years flying for hire that I am aware of.

I am embarrassed by their lack of support but not surprised.

Jake


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Is it predictable that an association of 1st class medical guys have little respect for a bunch of 3rd class medical guys who are asking for free reign with no medical? I think it is predictable. As is the opposition by many AMEs. They're welcome to their opinions. EAA and AOPA promoted a really palatable expansion of Light Sport but politicians wanted to shoot the moon. They may well have shot the EAA/AOPA proposal in the foot in doing so. I'm not mad at ALPA. I'm mad at our elected officials.
 
I can already visualize ALPA's lobby for it's members who land at the wrong airport... plow up all runways less than 7000 feet.
 
ALPA Bullet points as relayed by one of their mouthpieces....
1) AMA, CAMA AND NTSB not on board
2) Should use normal NPRM, congressionally dictated medical rule, could backfire
3) SAFETY (they love that word) many GA pilots do not get annual physicals and this is the only stop gap to find an issue

When I commented that there may be retaliation from EAA and AOPA when they need them, I was told, "they need us much more than we need them" ...The arrogance is nauseating, but normal..

One rather noisy member told me that "your rich boy hobby needs more regulation, not less" (Canadian citizen, air force trained, living in the US working for a major US carrier, never worked for any one else and holds no single engine ratings)
 
To be fair, with regard to the three points, can you make a convincing argument that they're incorrect?

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of the expansion of 3rd class medical reform and more so of the expansion of Light Sport limits. I'm a great example of what's wrong with the aeromedical process. When I was sick I got my medicals easily. Since I got fixed the FAA makes me burden my doctor to prove I'm fixed every 6 months. I have skin in the game and all this political posturing has done nothing but delay the process and delay my next Cub project because I don't know what the gross weight limits may be.
 
I can already visualize ALPA's lobby for it's members who land at the wrong airport... plow up all runways less than 7000 feet.

I thought their member did a great job plowing it up himself when he landed 6 miles short...

I fully agree with Stewart, there are some legitimate reasons for not approving the medical change. However, lets do a reality check, the class 3 is a biannual check, so you can not tell me that really screens folks when they are getting older.

And right now airlines are scrambling to hire pilots. All those Viet Nam vets have retired now, and so many of us that were young and saw how few jobs were available did something else for years... now the airlines are REQUIRED to put an ATP in the right seat, an ATP which must be obtained after an expensive class that young pilots can not afford.

So Alpa might be thinking they are doing good for their members, but in reality they are pushing, along with TSA, GA out the door into history, so before long the powers that be will allow passenger drones, and pilots will be a thing of the past.

Then where will ALPA be?

What needs to happen is us GA guys need to get our lobby busy and have the airlines restricted to small sections of our airports, and not allow them out. The rest of the GA area should not be required to have all the security so we can have young folks help wash aircraft and grow up with aviation. Not locked outside the fence.

Rant over
 
The rest of the GA area should not be required to have all the security so we can have young folks help wash aircraft and grow up with aviation. Not locked outside the fence.
That is simple and correct.
 
Not doing business with the companies on that list might make you feel better but it won't do any good. The companies and ALPA are two different entities.

I'm a ALPA member, FedEx pilot, but I'm very disappointed in their stance on this issue. I wrote them an email relaying my anger and disgust and for what it's worth this was their response:

Capt. Rogers –

Thanks for the message. We understand that this is an emotional issue.

A couple points that were contained in the AOPA and EAA messages to their members are incorrect. Just so you are aware, we have been attempting to work this issue with AOPA for some time now and, in fact, thought we had identified a middle-ground solution. We spoke with GAMA reps about that middle-ground solution to start to build consensus. It was the attempt to attach the amendment to the surface transportation bill without prior coordination that triggered ALPA’s response on Friday.

As you know, ALPA’s responsibility is to advocate for our members in their capacity as professional airline pilots. As highlighted we have been trying to work with AOPA to satisfy their concerns but they went ahead, without our knowledge, in an attempt to attach this amendment to the Highway Bill.

ALPA’s long standing policy is to maintain the highest level of safety within the National Airspace System. Self-certification of medical qualification for pilots flying in the same airspace as airlines is a step backwards from maintaining the highest levels of safety. ALPA members who are also GA pilots hold a Class 1 or 2 medical (as part of their jobs) and thus are not affected by this issue, except for the fact that it could have an adverse effect on the safety of the airspace in which we operate.

Contrary to many assertions, there have been airborne medical issues for GA pilots, just like commercial pilots, and moving to medical self-certification will just make it worse. There are a couple stats released by NTSB and the Aerospace Medical Association that everyone should review when considering whether medical self-certification is safe. The Aerospace Medical Association has stated that immediately after the Sport pilot category was introduced, the general aviation accident rate increased by 20 percent. In addition, the NTSB has documented the sharp increase in accident involving Sport pilots where prohibited substances were found in the system of the pilot and contributed to the accident.

We hope to continue to work with AOPA and other stakeholders to find a solution to the their special-issuance concerns and any other problems they would like to address. There are other aspects of the pilots’ bill of rights that we support, which is why we have attempted to work the issue with AOPA.

Hope that this helps.

ALPA Communications
 
As a retired ALPA member with 29 years of line flying, 38 years of professional flying, I am really angered at this and have expressed it with 'the association'. Let's not kid ourselves, everyone seeks a 'friendly' AME from the first ever physical and nothing changes. Hopefully, when self assessing if a problem arises, an appropriate doctor is consulted. ALPA is very hypocritical on many issues, but this one is not only appalling, but embarassing. The only reason 'they' were so vehement in their opposition to the FAA sleep apena proposal is that thousands would be grounded on the very next physical and the COST to 'the association' would be staggering. It's so nice to be retired, fly day VFR and not have 'management' lurking around doing their 'managing'.
 
Jimmy11,
I'm envious of you retired guys and can't wait myself. I still have at least 13 years to go if I go early at 55.
 
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