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Tag: pilots

  • Jeppesen ForeFlight in Arapahoe County cutting a large number of workers

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    Jeppesen ForeFlight, based in Arapahoe County, laid off a large number of employees on Wednesday, raising concerns among some airline pilots who rely heavily on the company’s products, according to industry and employee reports.

    The company has declined to provide the number of jobs being eliminated, and it hasn’t filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which is required when a company eliminates 50 or more jobs at a single work site.

    Citing anonymous employee reports, one industry publication, AeroTime, estimated the cuts were around 30%, which would translate to more than 540 workers from an estimated headcount of more than 1,800 employees.

    Employees commenting on Reddit put the layoffs at closer to 40% to 50% of the headcount, according to Aviation International News.

    “I was laid off via email, after 20 years with the company … classy place,” said one former employee on Reddit.

    The company disputed those figures while declining to provide a precise number.

    “Jeppesen ForeFlight made changes to streamline our operating model, which will support continued investment in product innovation and customer experience. While we are not sharing specific numbers, the current percentages being relayed through media are misleading and overstated,” the company said in a statement.

    The company said it was supporting all affected employees with severance, benefits and resources through the transition and that “safe, reliability and our customer commitments remain unchanged and remain our top priority.”

    JeppesenForeFlight is the leading provider of navigation and other software to the airline industry. Some pilots expressed concerns about the ongoing reliability and future quality of the company’s popular products, while others were taking a wait-and-see attitude, according to AeroTimes.

    Last fall, the private equity firm Thoma Bravo paid $10.55 billion in cash for Boeing’s Digital Aviation Solutions, which included ForeFlight, Jeppesen, AerData and Oz Runways.

    On Nov. 3, Thoma Bravo announced it had combined Jeppesen and ForeFlight into a new company called Jeppesen ForeFlight. Shortly after, the company’s CEO Brad Surek raised eyebrows when he told AvBrief.com that AI would be the company’s “north star” as it created a roadmap for future offerings.

    Thoma Bravo describes itself as one of the largest software-focused investors in the world, with over $181 billion in assets under management as of June 30.

    The firm has generated strong returns for its investors, but is also known for aggressive cost-cutting and large and undisclosed layoffs. Among the euphemisms it has used in the past are “strategic organizational changes” and “staffing optimization effort.”

    In 1934, airline pilot Elrey Borge Jeppesen founded a company to provide the first standardized aviation navigation charts, which proved a hit with other pilots.

    The company moved its headquarters from Salt Lake City to Denver in the 1940s. In the 1960s, it set up shop at 55 Inverness Drive East, where it has remained.

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    Aldo Svaldi

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  • Georgia ranks high for number of laser strikes against pilots

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    New numbers put Georgia on a dangerous flight list.

    The Federal Aviation Administration ranks Georgia 10th in the U.S. for the highest number of laser strikes against pilots.

    Pilots in metro Atlanta said the crime happens here way too often. Avery Shuhar is a flight instructor at DeKalb Peachtree Airport.

    She told Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco that even if you’re just playing around with a laser and do not think a plane is above you, they’re up there.

    “Especially in Atlanta. We’re the busiest airport in the world,” Shuhar said.

    She said a laser light can prevent pilots from seeing instruments inside the cockpit, and it could prevent them from seeing other traffic in the sky, causing a mid-air collision.

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    “Imagine, you know, when your phone catches sunlight, and it hits your eyes or hits a screen, and you can’t see it anymore. It’s kind of like the same thing,” Shuhar said.

    “It has happened to me once,” pilot Chirag Rao said.

    Rao pointed out the number of passengers at risk on some flights.

    “It can be a federal crime,” Rao said.

    The FAA released the new data on Thursday.

    Numbers show pilots reported the crime 166 times so far this year. In 2024, they reported it happening more than 400 times.

    When it does happen, Shuhar said pilots are instructed to tell air traffic controllers, who immediately call local police.

    Those officers start searching for suspects. When they find them, the FAA said the reasons the suspects did it varied from intentional to uneducated accidents.

    “If you’re going to shoot it, just make sure it’s down at the ground, not up in the sky, and don’t shoot it in anyone’s eyes,” Shuhar said.,

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  • Pilots scramble to save planes at Placerville Airport threatened by Pay Fire, airport remains closed

    Pilots scramble to save planes at Placerville Airport threatened by Pay Fire, airport remains closed

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    Cal Fire has stopped the growth of the Pay Fire, but crews are still working to clean up the hillside and prevent any lingering hot spots.During the fire, pilots headed to Placerville Airport to save their planes. (Previous coverage in video player above)”We were still trying to figure out how to get the planes out,” said James Johnson. “The power had been shut off, so we couldn’t get the doors open.”Johnson, a retired volunteer firefighter, knew what to do when word and flames spread.The Pay Fire was threatening the airport.”We knew the downhill slope can be hazardous for wildfires,” he said. Half a dozen hangars were still on the top of the hillside, where flames burned all around the airport and runway. The runway was not damaged. | MORE | Pay Fire: El Dorado County wildfire causes damage at Placerville Airport, forward progress stoppedIn the hangar where Johnson stored his plane, the basement caught fire.”I opened up the door to vent the smoke, that’s when a Cal Fire crew came by and dropped a hose. I jumped on that and sprayed water in there to decrease the temperature,” he said.Cal Fire crews also spent Sunday working on the hillsides, hosing down the charred terrain, cleaning up and putting out and preventing any lingering hot spots.The fire traveled up the hillside and flames burned close to one home on Duden Road. Flames singed the siding but firefighters stopped it from burning the home and many others.”This was ground zero right here,” said Jared Noceti. The fire burned close to his home and planes dropped fire retardant on it. “I got a pink house,” he said. “I’ll take a pink house still standing. These guys did a great job.”| MORE | Royal Fire: Crews battle flames at Tahoe National Forest, evacuation warning issuedNoceti’s family was swimming near Kyburz when they heard the evacuation orders Saturday afternoon. He was in flip flops, his swim trunks still wet when he got home to pack up essentials and grab the dog.”I’m sitting here in the truck, getting ready to leave, and here comes the airplane that dropped all the retardant on the roof,” Noceti said. “It was quite the show and it was time to go.”They got out so firefighters could do the work to protect their homes, property and planes. “A couple minutes longer and the basement would have been fully involved and we would have had a collapse on the back,” said Johnson.The airport will remain closed for a few days.

    Cal Fire has stopped the growth of the Pay Fire, but crews are still working to clean up the hillside and prevent any lingering hot spots.

    During the fire, pilots headed to Placerville Airport to save their planes.

    (Previous coverage in video player above)

    “We were still trying to figure out how to get the planes out,” said James Johnson. “The power had been shut off, so we couldn’t get the doors open.”

    Johnson, a retired volunteer firefighter, knew what to do when word and flames spread.

    The Pay Fire was threatening the airport.

    “We knew the downhill slope can be hazardous for wildfires,” he said.

    Half a dozen hangars were still on the top of the hillside, where flames burned all around the airport and runway. The runway was not damaged.

    | MORE | Pay Fire: El Dorado County wildfire causes damage at Placerville Airport, forward progress stopped

    In the hangar where Johnson stored his plane, the basement caught fire.

    “I opened up the door to vent the smoke, that’s when a Cal Fire crew came by and dropped a hose. I jumped on that and sprayed water in there to decrease the temperature,” he said.

    Cal Fire crews also spent Sunday working on the hillsides, hosing down the charred terrain, cleaning up and putting out and preventing any lingering hot spots.

    The fire traveled up the hillside and flames burned close to one home on Duden Road. Flames singed the siding but firefighters stopped it from burning the home and many others.

    “This was ground zero right here,” said Jared Noceti.

    The fire burned close to his home and planes dropped fire retardant on it.

    “I got a pink house,” he said. “I’ll take a pink house still standing. These guys did a great job.”

    | MORE | Royal Fire: Crews battle flames at Tahoe National Forest, evacuation warning issued

    Noceti’s family was swimming near Kyburz when they heard the evacuation orders Saturday afternoon. He was in flip flops, his swim trunks still wet when he got home to pack up essentials and grab the dog.

    “I’m sitting here in the truck, getting ready to leave, and here comes the airplane that dropped all the retardant on the roof,” Noceti said. “It was quite the show and it was time to go.”

    They got out so firefighters could do the work to protect their homes, property and planes.

    “A couple minutes longer and the basement would have been fully involved and we would have had a collapse on the back,” said Johnson.

    The airport will remain closed for a few days.

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  • American Airlines’ pilots union notes mounting safety issues—tools left in wheel wells, items abandoned near parked planes

    American Airlines’ pilots union notes mounting safety issues—tools left in wheel wells, items abandoned near parked planes

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    The pilots union at American Airlines says there has been “a significant spike” in safety issues at the airline, including fewer routine aircraft inspections and shorter test flights on planes returning from major maintenance work.

    The union also says it has seen incidents in which tools were left in wheel wells and items were left in the sterile area around planes parked at airport gates.

    A spokesman said Monday that union officials have raised their concerns with senior managers at the airline and were encouraged by the company’s response.

    American, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, said it has an industry-leading safety management system. An airline spokesperson said American is in regular contact with regulators and unions “to further bolster our strong safety record and enhance our ever-evolving safety culture.”

    Dennis Tajer, a pilot and spokesman for the union, said the union spoke recently with senior management, “and management’s initial response to our request was encouraging. We fully intend to do everything we can to assure that American maintains strong margins of safety.”

    The Federal Aviation Administration declined to comment directly on the union’s allegations or whether the agency has increased its oversight of American as a result. In a statement, an FAA spokesperson said airlines required to have systems for identifying potential hazards before they become serious problems.

    The safety committee of the Allied Pilots Association said in an email to members Saturday that the union “has been tracking a significant spike in safety- and maintenance-related problems in our operation.”

    The union said American has increased the time between routine inspections on planes. It also said American has ended overnight maintenance checks unless a plane is written up for special attention or due for scheduled maintenance and now does “abbreviated” test flights on planes returning to service after major maintenance checks or long-term storage.

    The union asked its members to report any safety or maintenance problems.

    “We all understand that aviation accidents are the result of a chain of events — often a series of errors — and catching just one of those errors could prevent a tragedy,” the union said in the email.

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    The Associated Press

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  • The MARCH Foundation Announces $75,000 Gift to Elizabeth City State University’s Pilot Training Program

    The MARCH Foundation Announces $75,000 Gift to Elizabeth City State University’s Pilot Training Program

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    ELIZABETH CITY, N.C., May 4, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The MARCH Foundation announced a gift of $75,000 to provide scholarships for students participating in Elizabeth City State University’s new “Take Flight Careers Pathways Program.”

    Elizabeth City State University is a Historically Black College and University, the only four-year aviation education program in North Carolina. The Take Flight Career Pathways Program will “promote opportunities for internships and fellowship with major airlines in the industry.” Through this partnership with the MARCH Foundation, the university’s goal is to create a pipeline of opportunity for workforce readiness and preparedness for the students. 

    “We’re excited to support Elizabeth City State as they prepare the next generation of pilots and leaders in the aviation industry,” said Eric Leufroy, MARCH Foundation board member who spent more than 34 years at UPS. “We know how expensive education is today, and we want to help students succeed and pursue their dreams.” 

    Investing in the future aviation workforce is key. The gift helps to prepare a more inclusive talent pool of pilots, and to inspire the next generation of aviation professionals, Leufroy said.

    Only 2.2% of airline pilots are Black, according to Zippia. The data shows that the average pilot is a 45-year-old, white male with a bachelor’s degree, earning about $102,560. In addition to pilots, Elizabeth City offers concentrations in avionics, aviation management, flight education, air traffic control and unmanned aircraft systems (e.g., drones). 

    With its gift to Elizabeth City State, the MARCH Foundation demonstrates its commitment to HBCUs and the growing number of students who need help with skyrocketing tuition.

    ESCU Chancellor Dr. Karrie G. Dixon said ECSU received the generous gift from the MARCH Foundation on its 7th Annual Day of Giving. “This $75,000 gift will be used to support our students and the state’s only four-year aviation science degree program now and in the future.” 

    Philanthropic donations like this one make a tremendous impact, according to Gary Brown, Ph.D., vice chancellor of Student Affairs and interim vice chancellor of Institutional Advancement.

    “As ECSU thrives as a leader in aviation science education for the citizens of North Carolina and beyond, the generous gift from the MARCH Foundation will prepare more scholars to serve as skilled pilots, educators, air traffic controllers and more. Partners like the MARCH Foundation dramatically enhance ECSU’s ability to attract and retain talent that fuels the aviation industry,” Brown said.

    MARCH, which stands for Mutual Alliance Restoring Community Hope, was launched to support the education of African American youth. Kenneth B. Jarvis, a longtime community business and civic leader, founded the group more than 25 years ago. 

    MARCH Foundation’s board members — African American executive men, all of whom retired from United Parcel Service (UPS) — initially funded MARCH with their personal funds. The foundation distributed more than $2 million in grants and scholarships, impacting more than 2,000 students to date. 

    For more information or the opportunity to give to the MARCH Foundation, visit  https://marchfoundation.org/donate/.

    For more information on Elizabeth City State University’s aviation program, go to https://www.ecsu.edu/aviation/.

    Source: MARCH Foundation

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  • American Airlines And Pilot Union Negotiators Have A Tentative Deal

    American Airlines And Pilot Union Negotiators Have A Tentative Deal

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    Allied Pilots Association negotiators have reached a tentative contract deal with American Airlines.

    In a notice to pilots on Monday night, APA President Ed Sicher said the negotiating committee chairman presented a tentative agreement to the union’s board of directors.

    The board will meet Oct. 31 to consider the deal. The union’s policy manual requires that the board take at least seven days to consider a tentative agreement before convening.

    The note to pilots said that national officers, committee member and consultants will make no comment “concerning the merit of the offer or proposal until after the board has acted.”

    Before a deal could be approved, board members will comment and the union would conduct a road show, presenting details in pilot domiciles.

    “Supposedly they have had all items resolved weeks ago except trip construction and pay,” said a pilot who asked not to be named.

    The existing contract became amendable in January 2020. APA has proposed a contract with raises of 10% in the first year, 5% in the second, and 5% in the third, plus retroactive pay.

    American Airlines’14,600 pilots are seeking a 20.4% pay raise over three years, as well as improved scheduling because “they’ve been running my pilots ragged,” Sicher said in an August interview.

    “If it’s less than 20%, I don’t think our pilots would accept it,” he said. At the time, an the amount of retroactive pay had not been determined. It is also possible that the percentage increase has increased since August.

    American, Delta and United pilots are all in contract negotiations.

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    Ted Reed, Senior Contributor

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