PIEDMONSTERS

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This year we were joined by Pilot Peer Support Committee Chair, Captain Amanda Fallon, as well as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Cynthia Sterling-Pinion. 

As pilots, aviation safety experts, and ALPA continue to work daily towards safer skies and healthier pilots, the guidelines surrounding pilot mental health are constantly evolving. As such, the FAA released new guidance on May 27, 2026 (between this podcast being recorded and the time it is uploaded for listening). That new guidance is linked below and supersedes any conflicting guidance previously released.

May 2026 Updates to Therapy Guidelines

May 2026 Updated Guidelines for Therapists

May 2026 Information for Therapists Treating Pilots

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND INFORMATION

PILOT PEER SUPPORT HOTLINE: (309) 777-2572

To contact a Piedmont PPS Representative, please email [email protected] OR utilize the ALPA App by selecting the following menu items.

My Pilot Group -> MEC Committees -> Pilot Peer Support

ALPA Aviation Medicine Advisory Service (AMAS)

ALPA Mental Health Continuum

FAA Aviation Rulemaking Committee Recommendations

AME Guide Item 19 (When Therapy Does or Does Not Need to be Disclosed)

FAA Guidance for Fast Track Approval of a Specified Condition

*This is a starting point, please contact AMAS (paid for by your ALPA dues) for any specific conditions diagnosed to comply with FAA requirements and minimize down time.

FAA Guidance Regarding Anxiety and Depression

Pilot Mental Health Campaign (not ALPA reviewed) resource to help explain aviation medicals to a mental health provider that is not familiar

Your Piedmont Union Representatives stand in full support of all pilots who choose to seek treatment and improvement of their mental health, and are happy to help with any additional questions or information. Happy pilots are safe pilots!

In this episode, we discuss some basic guidelines and helpful tips for non-rev travel, both for employees and those with access to employee benefits. 

The non-rev travel hotline number is: 1-888-933-5922

Additionally in this episode:

Phillies PUB Event RSVP Form

Mid-Term Negotiations Update

Welcome back to Piedmonsters! In this episode, we're joined by MEC Chair Kimberley Gott and Vice Chair Ryan Higgins, to discuss what the MEC accomplished in 2025 and look ahead to what the group will be working on in 2026.

For LEC 35 Voting - alpa.org/votenet 

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For the first time since our very first episode last summer, we are joined by Piedmont MEC Chair, Captain Kim Gott. She’s with us to highlight the roles of the various committees within our union operations and explain the best ways for our pilots to become involved with specific committees.  

Holiday Party Information

RSVP Here

Additional Details

As we move into the holiday season, we are reminded that flights are full, and commutes are tough. Please remember to “do the walk” for jumpseaters. 

Please do everything you can to ensure that jumpseating and commuting coworkers receive the courtesy of your best efforts to accommodate them. For our commuting pilots, please take a moment to review the Piedmont Commuting Policy outlined in our CBA. If you have any questions, please reach out to your status rep… 

We hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving, whether that is at work or at home. 

Thank you, as always for listening. Like and subscribe to Piedmonsters, wherever you get your podcasts, including apple, spotify, and youtube. And follow us on instagram @PiedmontPilots. 

You can also email us at [email protected] with any comments or suggestions. 

This is Part 2 of a 2-part interview featuring Training Committee Chair, Captain David Weidenhamer. In Part 1, we discussed an overview of the Training Committee, Training Review Boards, and what to expect during CQ. Part 2 features information about what to expect during Captain Upgrade, as well as additional suggestions and information. This episode also features some updates from around the MEC, including information about our new Training Department LEC, LEC 28, and upcoming Holiday PUB events in Charlotte and Philadelphia.

In this episode, we're joined by David Weidenhamer, Piedmont Captain and Chair of the Training Committee. This is part 1 of a 2 part interview. Part 1 includes general information about the training department and the training committee, as well as Training Review Boards and what to expect during CQ.

This episode also features updates regarding our recent MEC meeting, PUB event in Philadelphia, and announcement of our new LEC 029 secretary / treasurer.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so we are joined in this episode by Captain Sharon Curlee, chair of our Pilot Peer Support Committee and the Critical Incident Response Program, as well as Julie Schell, Piedmont Vice President of Safety and Regulatory Compliance. Sharon and Julie will be sharing information about pilot mental health initiatives, addressing concerns about confidentiality, and providing resources available to our pilots. 

ALPA Pilot Peer Support

Pilot Peer Support Phone Number:  (309) 777-2572

Piedmont Mental Health Support 

The Mental Health In Aviation Act Info & Call to Action

PHL / MDT LEC 29 Captain Rep Info 

Like and subscribe to Piedmonsters, wherever you get your podcasts, including apple, spotify, and youtube. And follow us on instagram @PiedmontPilots. 

You can also email us at [email protected] with any comments or suggestions. 

In this episode, we are joined by Captain Wendy Morse, ALPA First Vice President, and leader of the Aviation Safety Organization, or ASO. This interview took place in March, during the Women in Aviation International Conference in Denver. Thank you again to Wendy for taking the time to talk with us!

LEC 29 Captain Representative:

Captains based in PHL / MDT, who are active members in good standing, may submit their willingness to serve at alpa.org/votenet

Phillies PUB Event on 4/29:

If you are on reserve and would like to be added to the standby list, in case you are not assigned flying, please contact [email protected]

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Welcome to the first episode of 2025! 

This month, we are joined by Captain Jerry Schiffauer, who is the chair of our Fatigue Committee. 

Our schedules are always demanding, no matter the time of year, but winter storms and weather delays, along with holiday stress, and cold and flu season, mean winter is a prime time for pilots to become fatigued. Jerry is with us to discuss how and when to call out fatigued, how to file a fatigue report, and what he and the members of the Fatigue Committee have done and continue to do in order to make Piedmont Airlines safer.

Also in this episode:

- Remember to check your ALPA account to ensure you're receiving update emails and TextCaster text message updates!

- When filling out an Incident Report, as required for specific events per the FOM, ALPA and the MEC recommend *not* using the option provided to generate an ASAP report directly from the Incident Report. It is recommended to file those reports completely separately, with different levels of detail in the information. Please contact a member of the Safety Committee with questions.

This week, we have our third and final installment of our ALPA Board of Directors Meeting interviews. Captain Jason Ambrosi, the president of ALPA, International, was generous enough to take the time to meet with us and share his thoughts on ALPA’s successes over the first two years of his term, as well as what is on the horizon for the aviation industry moving forward. For those who might not know, Captain Ambrosi also hosts an ALPA podcast, the Air Line Pilot Podcast, focused on ALPA initiatives and the aviation industry.

Air Line Pilot Podcast

Thank you to everyone who has listened this year! I hope to continue to bring news and updates through this channel as we move into 2025. Wishing all of our pilots safe travels, a very merry and bright holiday season, and a happy new year.

Thank you to the following people who have helped make this podcast possible!

MEC Chair: Kim Gott

Communications Chair: Davis Bunting

ALPA Support Staff: Nina Ing, Dena Jackson, and Eric Davis

All of our 2024 guests