Autumn in NJ

Yep, I am still here.  And still no luck in trying to find out what happened to the Flight Engineer's Union, the Flight Engineers' International Association (FEIA).  Have not been able to track down ANY information.  I assume since there is no website there is no union anymore.  But no HISTORY?  I think they were part of the AFLCIO but was unable to get any useful information from their website.

Dad and Mom are doing ok.

If anybody has any information or a relative who is a retired F/E, please write me here.

Thanks again,

Dave (Son).

Oh, and by the way, AUTUMN means that winter is  not too far off.  And that SUX.

DP

Spring in New Jersey

FINALLY, some warm weather in New Jersey.  I just got back from a much needed week in Florida.  And not much to tell except it was great to drive on clean well maintained roads in the Florida sun watching the palm trees go by.

I have heard nothing about the FEIA from anyone, and there is an AAL HR Employee who is tasked with running down some information on among other things, the FEIA, and Flight Engineers in general.  If anyone is reading this please let me know (IF YOU KNOW) what happened to the FEIA.  Does it still exist in some form?  If it dissolved, when did it dissolve?

After the winter we had, ENJOY the spring weather.

David A. Pickel (the son).

An F/E Link or two

I am including a link to Randy Foster's blog.  If you dig down into the earlier posts, you'll find that Randy was part of a training assignment to train John Travolta on the B-707 (because JT bought one).

Some very interesting pictures!!

Also I have been trying to find out more information on the F/E Union, called the "Flight Engineers International Association".  I have not had much success in locating any information about it, and even if it still exists.  If I find anything I will post it here.

Dave Pickel (the Son)

Here is the link:

http://aaflightengineer.blogspot.com/

To Correct some misconceptions ...

Dear Readers,

There is a misunderstanding out there about who is running what and who is still with us.

First, I am David A. Pickel.  I am the son of a retired Flight Engineer.  My father is AAL F/E (ret) David E. Pickel.  He is very much alive, as is my mother Louise.  They both live in the same town and the same house as they did when Dad was flying.

To clarify:

My father D. E. Pickel, F/E (ret) has an email, fedp@prodigy.net

My email is dapickel@comcast.net

Feel free to write us both.

Thanks for visiting this blog.

David A Pickel

Quick Update

Two things.  As I recall, the lifetime limit on medical benefits holds (in spite of Obama's bragging about Obamacare), so Dad is done with AAL medical benefits.  And Obamacare requirements sunk the Golden Wings policy so that's done too.  Dad was able to get coverage with the help of the volunteer consultant at the Somerset County (NJ) office on aging as a medicare surround policy.

That's that story.

I will write more soon.

Dave (the son).

Update 7/30/2013

OK it's almost August 2013.  And we STILL do not have id cards.  Nancy Quinlivan keeps saying they are in the mail, as is a premium notice.  Neither have arrived.  And now we need the coverage since my mother suffered a fall and a broken arm.  Nancye, our volunteer benefits person from the Somerset County Office on Aging has been diligently working to untangle the mess and get actual working coverage.

What we are accomplishing is steady measured pressure on Nancy Quinlivan to actually get this done.  My dad paid many years into this "plan" and it should work for my parents.  OR, I am guessing the NY State Attorney General might be interested in this mess.

If anybody is reading this blog and has had difficulties getting the Golden Wings plan to work please contact me at this blog or email pickeld@hotmail.com and let me know your experiences and outcome (were you successful or not with the G/W plan??)

Thanks again,

David A. Pickel (Son of Retired F/E D.E. Pickel, LGA)

Update as of April 27, 2013

For those of you who are watching this blog, not much has changed.  Nancye (the benefits specialist volunteer) has been in touch again with The G/W insurance broker in Buffalo (Nancy Quinlivan), and again, cards are in the mail.

We did talk to United Healthcare and requested an audit because now it appears that my mother has benefit dollars from the AAL health plan but my father seems to be out of funds.  At the beginning of the month the US Healthcare site said Dad had $ -9,999,999.00 in his account.  (Figure that out, it must be Tom Horton economics just like his idea of new paint and logo for AAL).  In order to determine exactly HOW much funding, if any, is left, Nancye suggested we ask for an audit. 

So we did, and it's been about 3 or 4 weeks since then.  No results yet. 

David A. Pickel, son of F/E (ret) David E. Pickel