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New Resources for Jumpseaters

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yessman

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Dec 9, 2004
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New Resources for Jumpseaters
Wednesday, August 5, 2009 - The third day of the Jumpseat track at ALPA’s Air Safety Forum featured the rollout of the Association’s new “No Pilot Left Behind” jumpseat initiative, an effort designed not only to help commuters get to and from work more easily, but to strengthen Captain’s Authority over all aspects of operations.
JS8-6-09_pic1.jpg

Jumpseat chairmen from ALPA, SWAPA, APA, IPA and other unions spent the day hearing an update on the Cockpit Access Security System (CASS) provided by system vendor ARINC as well as engaging in nuts-and-bolts discussions of how to prevent jumpseat fraud and deal with the thorny issues regarding cockpit access for non-pilot airline employees.
But the highlight of the Jumpseat Forum’s final day was the demonstration of the Association’s website designed specifically for jumpseaters industry-wide. Easily accessed by iPhones, Blackberries and other smart phones, Jumpseat.alpa.org, which was developed over the last six months, provides a one-stop shop for pilots seeking non-rev access.
“This is the resource that the jumpseat group has been asking for years,” said National Jumpseat Committee First Officer Rob Frank of Air Wisconsin. “Our goal was to address: ‘What does a pilot need at the gate? What does he need when he’s trying to non-rev on his own company and the flight cancels and he’s trying to get home? How do I get on Fedex? How do I get on UPS, or AirNet?’ It’s all right here.”
The public portion of the jumpseat page includes a comprehensive list of jumpseat policies and contact numbers for North American carriers large and small, from Air Canada to Xtra Airways. There’s also a jumpseat etiquette guide, an online link to the TSA complaint form, and a wide variety of links to weather pages and other non-rev websites like PassRider and FlightExplorer.com.
While the public page is available to all commercial pilots regardless of airline or union status, the site also includes a secure section where MEC jumpseat volunteers can compare notes and communicate with each other.
The “No Pilot Left Behind” initiative also features a convenient Jepp-sized pullout jumpseat guide in the September issue of Air Line Pilot magazine. Flight bag stickers with the “No Pilot Left Behind” logo have also been developed so that individual MECs can order them for distribution to their members.
Jumpseat chairmen also heard from ARINC program manager David Thatcher on the status of the CASS system. Growing from just a handful of pioneer carriers in 2002, 96 different airlines now use CASS to manage their cockpit jumpseat process, either via their own in-house IT systems or through a software-hosting arrangement with ARINC. About 4,600 CASS requests are made in any given day.
ALPA’s 2009 Air Safety Forum is being held at Washington, D.C.’s Omni Shoreham hotel. Get live updates about the Forum by following ALPA on Twitter, and check this website regularly for up-to-date coverage.


 
...nuts-and-bolts discussions of how to prevent jumpseat fraud and deal with the thorny issues regarding cockpit access for non-pilot airline employees....

Why does this have to be a thorny issue?

Thank you to the airlines who specifically include Dispatchers to help avoid the "thorny issues" for those of us that travel.

The only blurbs in this Airline Jumpseat Procedures list that includes Dispatchers are:
  • ALASKA CENTRAL EXPRESS
  • COMAIR
  • ISLAND AIR
  • MESABA
  • NORTH AMERICAN
  • POLAR AIR CARGO
  • UNITED
I'm a bit disappointed that even my own airline's procedures blurb doesn't say, "...and Dispatchers". Come on SkyWest!!!

I do travel a lot and have had, mostly, good experiences jumpseating on OAL's.
 
Why does this have to be a thorny issue?

Thank you to the airlines who specifically include Dispatchers to help avoid the "thorny issues" for those of us that travel.

The only blurbs in this Airline Jumpseat Procedures list that includes Dispatchers are:
  • ALASKA CENTRAL EXPRESS
  • COMAIR
  • ISLAND AIR
  • MESABA
  • NORTH AMERICAN
  • POLAR AIR CARGO
  • UNITED
I'm a bit disappointed that even my own airline's procedures blurb doesn't say, "...and Dispatchers". Come on SkyWest!!!

I do travel a lot and have had, mostly, good experiences jumpseating on OAL's.


I'm pretty sure the "thorny issue" they're referring to is that at least once, there has been a push for TSA workers to be allowed to jumpseat.
 

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