ALPA Signs off on Age 65

[MINIME]

Now some of us won't touch the left side in as much as 12 years!!! Not to mention no real new jobs being created anymore. I see Skybus and VA having no problems attracting applicants in the near future.

 

[NuGuy]

My question is, will our pilot medicals become 'real' medicals now? That could thin the herd, mentally and physically.

Heyas Jet,

I will be writing my congress critter this very afternoon what a joke I think the current 1st class medical is, and recommend that we immediately implement the ICAO standard medical for aircarrier pilots. As we have elected to use the ICAO age standard, obviously we should be using the ICAO medical standard as well.

As a person in reasonable health and paid up loss of license insurance, I say to the old guys "turnabout is fair play".

Nu

 

[BoilerUP]

As we have elected to use the ICAO age standard, obviously we should be using the ICAO medical standard as well.

Agreed...but watch ALPA National want to have their cake and eat it too.

As a person in reasonable health and paid up loss of license insurance, I say to the old guys "turnabout is fair play".

Heh...Karma is a bitch, ain't it?

 

[Flopgut]

Heyas Jet,

I will be writing my congress critter this very afternoon what a joke I think the current 1st class medical is, and recommend that we immediately implement the ICAO standard medical for aircarrier pilots. As we have elected to use the ICAO age standard, obviously we should be using the ICAO medical standard as well.

As a person in reasonable health and paid up loss of license insurance, I say to the old guys "turnabout is fair play".

Nu

Stand by for Prater and company to AGREE with you! Of course in the context of medical standards, Prater will strongly support, in fact guarantee, a 5-10 years phase in period. Wouldn't do the same for the age rule...but he'll see to it for the medical standards!

ICAO's most restrictive rule: no worse than uncorrected 20/40 after age 55. That's what I've heard anyway; How many of you'all got that?

ALPA just took a step back another 25 years.

 

[Pinkslip]

My picture says it all! Piss on ALPA!

 

[nimtz]

:uzi:

Well Mr. Prater my ALPA-PAC contributions are officially done with for my career. Why bother paying for shommozing lawmakers when my union goes against the will of the membership. Sorry but this was a predictable back stab of the majority. ALPA is becoming as screwed up as the airline industry.

 

[Swaayze]

My email to Captain Prater:

Hello Captain Prater,

I will preface by saying that I really had some hope that ALPA would "take back our profession" with you at the helm. That is no longer the case.

I am absolutely appalled by the recent Executive Board vote to support a change in the Age 60 rule. Did the membership of ALPA not just show a majority against such a change? Forgive me if I missed that but I thought I saw just the opposite. For the leadership of "our" union to blatantly disregard the membership's wishes is absurd and infuriating. Justifying your actions with the loaded question in the recent poll (along the lines of "if it is apparent that the age will change should we attempt to be involved in effecting the rule?") is a bunch of crap. That poll was clearly biased toward the age 65 agenda; I said it then and I've said it again now.

If I didn't know better then you'd be receiving this email as my resignation from ALPA. I will, however, no longer support your administration unless I'm proven to be way off base in my disgust.

With the US Airways pilot group halfway out the door and now the proven untrustworthiness of our Executive Board I suspect ALPA could be in trouble this time. My condolences on making our quest to recapture some of the just desserts of our profession that much more difficult, especially for those of us severely impacted by a change to the age 60 rule.

I find these chickensh!t actions by our leadership quite sickening. Pardon my French, but I'm a little upset and at a loss for a word that captures as well the essence of what has happened.

By the way, I'm not necessarily against the age change, but that's not the point here.



Sincerely,

Swaayze
ALPA xxxxxxx
Active American Eagle
Furloughed US Airways
Former elected representative who would never dream of voting in opposition to his constituency.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Bunch of whining babies!

Wake up! The rule was going to change regardless of ALPA's position. At least this way we will have some say in how the rule is changed. If ALPA had attempted to oppose the change we would have looked like a bunch of children stomping our feet and crying when we don't get our way. There are much bigger legislative problems facing ALPA.

By the way, to all you a$$holes blaming Prater for this vote remember that it was your locally elected reps that actually changed ALPA's position

Grow up!

 

[ualdriver]

I think you guys who are crapping on Prater and the Executive Council are kind of missing the big picture here. AGE 60 IS CHANGING WHETHER ALPA LIKES IT OR NOT. I don't want age 65 either, but it's coming. Blakely already announed on Jan 30th that the FAA will propose a new rule allowing pilots to fly until they are 65 in order to bring us to the ICAO standard. The Senate Commerce Committee has already included the age 65 language in their FAA reauthorizaiton bill. The House is expected to follow. It's done, boys. ALPA fought it as directed, and we lost.

Now, we (ALPA) can continue to fight from the outside for something that is going to happen anyway and let airline management and the ATA shape the rules that will govern this inevitable Age 65 reality, or we can recognize that the Age 60 fight is lost and act on issues that the ALPA membership feel are important, like opposing age-related medical testing or maintaining the current First Class Medical requirements.

So what's the "smart" thing ALPA should do for its members? Should ALPA fight a futile battle from the outside or recognize reality as a Union and work FROM THE INSIDE to enact governance that the ALPA members want?

And to the guy who said that ALPA-PAC can kiss his donations good-bye because he's obviously a "one-issue" person, a pro-cabotage aviation administrator in the EU just cheered. That will teach ALPA!!

 

[BoilerUP]

Bunch of whining babies!

Wake up! The rule was going to change regardless of ALPA's position.

Probably...but that's not the point.

At least this way we will have some say in how the rule is changed.

Says who? There are no guarantees anybody in the FAA or Congress will give two sh!ts what ALPA has to say; if they did we wouldn't be in this situation right now.

If ALPA had attempted to oppose the change we would have looked like a bunch of children stomping our feet and crying when we don't get our way.

So that somehow justifies the EB making a decision counter to the will of the majority? BS!

There are much bigger legislative problems facing ALPA.

Like what? Cabotage? Open Skies? Pension reform? Nothing will matter if ALPA as a collective group is mortally fractured along age groups.

Grow up!

So sorry to dissent...who am I to want ALPA to follow the wishes of its members to oppose a change to Age 60?