LIALPA - SlipStream Newsletter

LIALPA SlipStream Newsletter, June, 1998

Editor: Capt. R. J. Fitt, IFALPA Director for LIALPA

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OK, so it's late | Factors in Early LOL | IFALPA News | LIALPA's Role
Aspartame | Frank Delisle hospitalised

OK, so it’s late.

But I have an excuse or two.

Important developments late in the month kept me from putting Slipstream out, as I wanted to include the latest news in our progress towards some sort of a future.

In the face of heavy pressure from our Southern shareholders, a board meeting was recently held. One of the issues was the appointment of a CEO.

I am reliably informed that a candidate has been chosen, and that negotiations to establish his conditions are imminent. With a bit of luck we might finally have a CEO to call our own again in the near future.

One of the stories I read for my children had as its protagonist a lost chick (or some such creature) which ran around asking every object it met (animate or otherwise), "Are you my mother?"

I only hope that if we get an affirmative, it won’t be from an "Enormous Turnip". (Another favourite.)

But back to the Southern pressure: sources in BWIA say that their top management are anxious for some sort of a merger with LIAT to ensure a good feed for their longer flights. It is claimed that this plan is being blocked by an individual in spite of the approval of all the other shareholders. If they get no progress, they have two Dash 8s ready to go at short notice to serve themselves.

This rumour has a major flaw. No proposal has been placed before the LIAT board by BWIA. Apparently there has been much discussion with individual shareholders, but the board has been ignored thus far.

Such a proposal is not without merit, but to realize the synergies that could result will need the attentions of an expert management team, an extremely rare and endangered species these days.

Factors in Early Loss of Pilots’ Licenses.
From a paper submitted by ALPA SA (South Africa).

Statistical information indicates that a high percentage of license withdrawals due to medical reasons can be avoided. Below is a breakdown of the most frequent causes and suggestions on how these can be avoided.

1. MEDICAL CAUSES FOR REJECTION OF FLYING LICENCE

According to South African statistics taken over a period of 7 years (1982 - 1988) the main causes for the loss of flying licences are as follows:

1.1 Cardio Vascular Diagnoses

Ischaemic heart disease. The heart is not getting sufficient circulation due to blockage of the arteries as a result of cholesterol.

Hypertension. High blood pressure.

Arrhytmias. Irregular heart beat.

1.2 Neurological Diagnoses

Head injuries including neurosurgery.

Headaches including migraine.

Epilepsy/loss of consciousness.

1.3 Opthalmological Diagnoses
1.4 Oncological Diagnoses

Malignant melanoma as a result of skin cancer.

Cancer of the colon.

1.5 Psychiatric Diagnoses

Depression as a result of the loss of a family member or close friend. Most of the individuals are declared fit after treatment.

Dutch statistics taken over a period of 11 years (1980 - 1990) indicated the main reasons for medical rejection were psychological, neurological, cardiovascular and opthalmological.

2. AGE AT MEDICAL REJECTION

With the aid of the age at rejection and the number of professional pilots in each age group, the chances of medical rejection for each age group can be determined.

Up to the age 48 years the chances of rejection are fairly small. In the age group 48 to 54 years there is a sharp increase with a peak at 51 and 52 years mainly due to heart/vascular diseases. After 54 years the chances of rejection decreases again.

3. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

3.1 Cardiovascular

The risk factors for cardiovascular diseases can be reduced by:

Diet

The basic principles of a healthy diet include:

Eat a wide variety of foods

Eat less fat, especially saturated fat

Substitute unsaturated fats for saturated fats

Eat less dietary cholesterol

Eat more carbohydrate foods, especially those rich in fibre

Eat regular meals

Avoid being overweight

Use alcohol in moderation

Use less fat

Exercise

Regular exercise may increase levels of HDLC (high density lipoprotein cholesterol) as well as help control weight, reduce blood pressure and stress levels.

Smoking

STOP SMOKING.

3.2   Neurological

Take care and avoid head injuries.

3.3   Opthalmological

Invest in a good pair of sunglasses that provides protection against harmful ultra violet radiation.

3.4 Oncological

Skin cancer. Avoid unnecessary exposure to harmful ultra violet radiation

Cancer of the colon. Refer to principles of a healthy diet

3.5 Psychiatric

Stress Management. The nucleus of stress management is: recognition - acknowledgement - acceptance - seek professional help.

   IFALPA News

The new IFALPA Web Site was officially launched on April 27, 1998 in Montreal at the Annual Conference.

On it you will find information about the organization, as well as access to some of its publications. There are plans foe further development of the site to provide more information, as well as an intranet for secure access of IFALPA Members.

I’ve had a look and found some useful information, but it’s a bit slow. Try it out at www.IFALPA.ORG

As you should know, IFALPA is represented on the committee responsible for draughting the new Air Regulations for the EU, and which should eventually be harmonized with the FARs as the JARs.

I was recently able to touch bases with our representative, Capt. Flemming Sorensen of Maersk Air in Denmark. His reports from the front line are not encouraging. It appears that the requests from the employers are more readily accepted, while our inputs are often ignored.

We in LIALPA need to get more closely involved in the evolution of aviation policies which affect us. An obvious recent case is the modification of CAP 371 recommendations to suit the local operators, at the expense of pilots. There are other issues which also need attention, such as accident investigation policies, and the criminal liability of pilots. To achieve any progress in these and other matters, more individuals must step forward and give of their time and expertise.

Word from the Executive Director of IFALPA is that the kinds of problems we have here are not unique, and becoming less so as time progresses.

   LIALPA’s Role.

Shareholders expect returns on their investments. The easiest way to increase profits is often seen to be at the expense of employees conditions. The pressure is relentless and the outcome clear, unless there is concerted opposition. That is the reason for professional associations such as ours, a simple truth known by all our members.

A serious problem that currently exists, however, is that many of us have decided to opt out of active involvement in the association’s activities. This unfortunate attitude severely hampers the ability of the Association to formulate and pursue policies which are in the best interests of the pilot body, and does a great injustice to those members who are charged and overloaded with the conduct of its affairs. At some point, if the number of freeloaders gets to great, the whole enterprise will cease to function.

I leave it to your imagination what kind of working conditions will rapidly follow.

Is it fair that members who do nothing to support the Association should expect support from it in their hour of need? Dues should not be considered advance payments for services to be rendered in the future. Remember that the Officers pay dues too, and receive no compensation for the time they expend attending to their duties.

   Aspartame.
(Adapted from an article by Dr Lendon Smith.)

I knew there was something wrong with aspartame (ASP, Nutrasweet/ Equal), but I could not quite put my finger on it. Yes, the ingredients are chemicals found naturally in foods, but is a little different when it is ingested as a sweetener with little or no "food" around it. I just received an eye-opener called "The Deadly Deception," compiled by the Aspartame Consumer Safety network (ACSN, P. O. Box 780634, Dallas, TX75378.) Founded in 1987, it serves as a support group and clearinghouse for vital information. One of the opening pages hit me: "85% of all complaints registered with the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) concerns aspartame’s adverse reactions."

It is now reported that five deaths and at least 70 different symptoms have resulted from its use. The list includes neurological, dermatological, cardiac, respiratory, all the symptoms I have ever seen reported for food sensitivities, low blood sugar, Alzheimer’s, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, amalgam filling disease and methanol poisoning…..Aspartame (L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanyl-methyl-ester) is about 200 times as sweet as sugar with virtually no calories. It sounds ideal for those who need to have the sweet taste, but not the calories.

This compound breaks down in the system to:

phenylalanine (50%0 which can be neurotoxic and in some susceptible people will cause seizures;

aspartic acid (40%) which can cause damage in the developing brain;

methanol (10%) which turns into formaldehyde embalming fluid, an obvious toxin.

They all have adverse effects, but not everyone is affected equally. This is why the scientific community is having trouble evaluating these anecdotal reports.

   Frank Delisle Hospitalized.

About three weeks ago Frank Delisle, founder of LIAT, suffered a stroke at his home in Antigua. He was subsequently moved to Florida for treatment and therapy to cope with mild paralysis resulting from the attack.

Although he no longer flies, he was still very actively involved in the management of Carib Aviation.

I’m sure that all of us whose lives have been touched by his creation will wish him a speedy and complete recovery.

OK, so it's late | Factors in Early LOL | IFALPA News | LIALPA's Role
Aspartame | Frank Delisle hospitalised

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