Mark's Remarks - HL 368

High Life 368  |   PCN Home  |  Post to PCN   | G-Group   |  Calendar   |  PCN Ads  |  Sign Up  |  FAQs

 Back in the High Life Again -Theme Song:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adw772km7PQ&ob=av2e

Lyrics:

Back in the High Life Again

Steve Winwood

It used to seem to me that my life ran off too fast
And I had to take it slowly
Just to make the good parts last
But when you're born to run, it's so hard to just slow down
So don't be surprised to see me
Back in the bright part of town

 

I'll be back in the high life again
All the doors I closed one time
Will open up again
I'll be back in the high life again
All thee eyes that watched me once
Will smile and take me in

 

And I'll drink and dance with one hand free
Let the world back into me
I know I'll be a sight to see
Back in the high life again

 

Girl, you used to be the best
To make life be life to me
And I hope that you're still out there
And you're like you used to be
We'll have ourselves a time
And we'll dance the mornin' sun
And we'll let the good times come in
And we won't stop 'til we're done

 

We'll be back in the high life again
All the doors I closed one time
Will open up again
We'll be back in the high life again
All thee eyes that watched us once
Will smile and take us in

 

And we'll drink and dance with one hand free
And have the world so easily
Though we'll be a sight to see
Back in the high life again

High life
High life
In the high life again

 

We'll be back in the high life again
All the doors I closed one time
Will open up again
We'll be back in the high life again
All thee eyes that watched us once
Will smile and take us in

 

And we'll drink and dance with one hand free
And have the world so easily
Though we'll be a sight to see
Back in the high life again

High life
(Back in the high life)

Oh, we'll be back...

 

Important: If viewing in Google Drive, PDF hyperlinks are hot after you highlight them. If you have trouble navigating to a hyperlink then visit the blog where all links are hot - http://pcnhighlife.blogspot.com/

 

Dear PCN (of over 2600 subscribers),

 Seeking the NEXT generation of PCN Dir:

Dear PCN, I have been running a web community with a website or blog and newsletter since the 90’s.  On August 3, 2009 I merged my community with the one founded by David Roberts and formed the PCN for our retired pilot community.   Here it is 2025 and we’re still together and I am still doing this.  I would like to hand off the Newsletter and management of the PCN so someone who feels that the torch is worth carrying.  For any member interested or wants to learn what’s involved I would enjoy that call and chat. My efforts will continue, giving it the ole college try at finding a successor.  At some point, if that replacement Director/Editor is not found I will have to bow out.  So if you may be so inclined please consider this opportunity.  It has always been a pleasure and a honor to serve this exceptional group of aviators.

 +++++

 Joining or changing an email with our Google Group:

Google Group allows us to email our notices to our entire nearly 3000 member group at one single time free of charge.  That is a pretty neat benefit for our group operating with volunteers and zero budget. But GOOGLE has a few restrictions that make it sometimes more challenging to ADD an email of someone who changes there email or has one that is not gmail. Please be aware of the couple of notes below:

·       If you have changed your email GOOGLE will not let you join if there is an email still associated with you  in the group.   Please always give the ole email to us so we can DELETE it.

·       If you are joining with and email that GOOGLE doesn’t ‘like’ then the group will not let me DIRECTLY ADD you and have to INVITE you instead.    I don’t like this restriction but it is the price of using Google Groups.

If anyone out there is still having troubles receiving or joining the PCN please contact me and will work to make it right. Mark.pcndir@gmail.com

++++++++

The Recurring Frustrating Nightmare:

I rarely dream.  When I sleep, it is usually sleep and the brain is at rest.  But when I do dream it is usually a recurring nightmare, but not a scary one.  It is a dream of frustration.  If you’re a Daniel, as in the Bible, and care read the dreams like he could, maybe you’ll be able to tell me what my dream means. 

The dream always has a flight that is coming up or I just got assigned but I cannot make the show.  In this dream I had just passed a check ride and Delta asked if I could take a trip later that day.  Of course I said sure.  So at home I was scrounging for uniform items and (ones that fit) then  I recruited  my current Delta Capt son to crew as my FO.  No matter what we tried, no matter what we did, we can never get to the cockpit.  At every turn there would be a hurdle or a blocked path and the frustration built.  Later in the dream as I tossed and turned going to be a late show for sure, I suddenly had an epiphany, I’m 72.  I can’t pilot an airliner at this age, so all this hand wringing, high blood pressure and sweaty brow was all for naught.  Call the scheduler and tell them they asked the wrong Dude and now wake up and realize that I am completely off the hook.  Dream over.   

I sorry but this is a silly thing and probably will be plaguing me until I’m eating gruel and can’t remember my name.  It could be worse so I guess I’ll live with it.

 

 REPEAT NOTICE of Delta HR EMAIL:

Another way to Contact Delta HR – Please copy the included email for future use.

• New Email Contact for Delta’s Retirees - Delta’s Human Resources Department has established a new
email address for retirees needing to contact Delta Air Lines with various questions or comments. The new
email address is alumniservices@delta.com. This is an alternative way to get your question directly into
the HR department if you have been unable to resolve your issue through the “Ask HR” feature on the Del-
ta Net for Alumni website or the 1-800-MYDELTA help line.

 

 

 

IMPORTANT SURVIVOR section repeated in INSURANCE section of High Life 340 and FINANCE section of 336.  NEW handy 2 page LINK LIST of important documents for the Survivor. 

 

 

New PCN subscriber Sign Up:

 

As you most of you know our PCN is a private subscribed to online community.  We maintain a list of that virtually eliminates spammers or other online undesirables from joining with a simple sign up procedure, so the applicant can be screened.  I am very happy with how this has worked as we can be assured that everyone on the 2670 member list is legit.

 

If you know of a pilot who wishes to join our community and receive our notices they can easily and painlessly become a subscriber for FREE by simply filling out the SIGN UP form.  If a current member vouches for a friend and simply sends in their former Delta position and email, I have always considered this an appropriate vetting and added them directly to the list.

 

Thanks for helping the PCN remain the largest retired Delta pilot online community and for helping keep our mailing list made up of all legit subscribers. 

 

+++++

 

PCN sends out the High Life in 2 ways via a Blog page and a PDF file.  But the PCN also has a website with helpful information archived.   Check out some of the elements of the PCN Website like:

 

Home page:  http://pcn.homestead.com/home01.html

 

About us:  http://pcn.homestead.com/About.html

 

Retiree benefit page: http://pcn.homestead.com/RetPilot.html

 

Survivor Info page: http://pcn.homestead.com/DLSurv.html

 

Links page: http://pcn.homestead.com/Links.html

 

Pilot Authors: http://pcn.homestead.com/Authors.html

 

Sign Up Form: http://pcn.homestead.com/SignUP.html

 

Report a Death Form: http://pcn.homestead.com/Death_Form.html

 

Archived docs: http://pcn.homestead.com/Archive.html 

 

Comprehensive Flown West List page: http://pcn.homestead.com/FlightWest.html

 

Seniority lists and Hotel page  (password protected): http://pcn.homestead.com/Seniority.html

 

Thanks for checking the PCN Web Site out and please report any page that needs an update!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Full post disclaimer in left column. PCN Home Page is located at: http://pcn.homestead.com/home01.html

Finance - HL 368 (2)

Helpful miscellaneous articles regarding our retirement plan and planning.  Like you, I review my retirement nestegg and plan from time to time.  Recently, I went though some continued education for some credentials I maintain and it occurred to me that we all could use a review about these issues.  So with your help, we will share and post articles and info that may be helpful and of interest to many of you in this section.

 

55 Discounts that Seniors are Entitled too

 

American Senior Discounts

 

https://premium.walletjump.com/article/american-senior-discounts?trid=5f79ab1b7e4b6c2b0bd4b69b3613358d&source=mediago&ad_id=376120084&ad_title=Seniors+Born+1941-1979+Receive+55+Benefits+This+Month+if+They+Ask&asset_id=21852413&campaign_id=3378469&publisher_name=msn.com&site_id=2007904&content_name=&cpid=040f2e6a-8b1e-4bf2-89e3-9dc2fa211794&lpid=337d265d-f16e-4564-af48-e6bf89d16b7c&cc4d76fdaf5=4444&a0v5la7bquf89=57611878626e2381a8fed0cd0aee43d0&uy3ubftvh0u6o8=5f79ab1b7e4b6c2b0bd4b69b3613358d&cusduxj27i=3378469&xnfrr0ncac=31028&zsmoi87pih9=trace.mediago.io&lzzgnpz8d=39934c2bda4debbe4c680be1dd02f5d3&Q09ORklH=2

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Silver catches a lift from gold's bull run to eye 10-year peak

By Brijesh Patel and Daksh Grover

February 16, 20258:29 PM ESTUpdated 7 days ago

Ingots of 99.99 percent pure silver are placed in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/FIle photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

·       Summary

·       Companies

·       COMEX silver stocks climb sharply since November

·       Silver up 14% so far in 2025, following 21% rise last year

·       Acceleration in economic activity key for the metal

Feb 14 (Reuters) - Silver prices hit their highest since late October on Friday, latching on to factors that drove gold to successive record highs, with some analysts suggesting investors in the metal may aim to challenge a 10-year high just shy of $35 per ounce.

However some analysts were cautious on the market's trajectory, given higher volatility in silver and a failure to reach similar dizzying heights as gold in 2024.

Spot silver was last up 2% at $33 per ounce, having hit its highest level since late October at $33.41. The white metal scaled a more than 10-year peak of $34.87 per ounce on October 22.

Gold

"Silver's been a laggard, and some would refer to it as the Cinderella metal, because it always misses the ball. Having said that, silver has finally woken up and broken above some key technical resistance," independent analyst Ross Norman said.

If current momentum continued, silver could challenge the $35 level, he added.

After rising 21% in 2024, silver, both a precious and industrial metal, has gained 14% so far in 2025 supported by similar factors to gold - a jump in U.S. Comex futures prices on concerns of a possible trade war sparked by proposed U.S. import tariffs. The U.S. March silver contract was last up 3.3% at $33.79.

In recent weeks the spread between Comex gold futures and London spot prices has widened significantly, while the spot gold price hit a record $2,942.70 per ounce on Tuesday.

Providing additional support to silver, copper prices hit their highest in more than three months in London on Friday.

The unusually high premium between CME futures and London spot prices caused volatility in the part of the market known as the exchange of futures for physical (EFP), used as a hedge to general precious business activity, and attracted massive inflows to the silver stocks in COMEX-approved warehouses.

CME silver stocks jumped by 22% to 375.8 million ounces since November 24 when U.S. President Donald Trump pledged steep tariffs on all products from Mexico and Canada. Trump later delayed the tariffs until March.

silver

CME gold stocks had seen a sharper growth since November partly because gold is flown around by plane and silver is usually transported by sea or land.

"Elevated EFPs continue to draw metal from London into the COMEX, with the threat of tariffs inadvertently accelerating the drain on LBMA inventories towards critical levels," TD Securities said.

The amount of silver stored in the London vaults fell by 8.6% from December to 23,528 tons in January, worth $23.9 billion, the London Bullion Market Association said last week.

The monthly decline was the largest since the LBMA records began in mid-2016.

VOLATILE

Despite some bullish-looking factors, analysts noted the silver market's propensity to be volatile - injecting a note of caution.

"Silver has a long history of higher volatility than gold, and that when gold makes a decisive move, silver's amplitude is usually 2.0-2.5 times that of gold," StoneX analyst Rhona O'Connell said in a recent note.

Prices also looked slightly vulnerable from a technical perspective.

"Last year's range was $22-35; unusually wide. The previous year was $19-27 and that range was made in the first handful of months," said Tai Wong, an independent metals trader.

"It feels disappointing because gold made 40 historic highs in 2024 and silver 0," he added.

About half of silver usage comes from industrial use, which may be subject to headwinds if a trade war has a chilling effect on global economic growth.

There may be fewer rate cuts than previously expected by the U.S. Federal Reserve and slowing growth in China, said Hamad Hussain, assistant climate and commodities economist at Capital Economics.

 

 

 

 

 (As with any of these informative articles, anyone who needs someone to talk to about

this very subject contact me and I can direct you to a knowledgeable advisor).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Full post disclaimer in left column. PCN Home Page is located at: http://pcn.homestead.com/home01.html

Insurance - HL 368 (1)

IMPORTANT SURVIVOR information in many former HL issues but INSURANCE section of High Life 340 and FINANCE section of 336 a good resource to keep.

 

CORRECTION to language I used in HL 350 for the D & S Plan TRUST

 

All Archived High Lifes issues:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BzB_SBDmSd9AMzViODQ3MDQtODhjYy00YzkwLThiMzktM2FhMDEzMDZhYjA0?resourcekey=0-sovghKhA1zNRWP5SUxjUqA&usp=sharing

 

I previously used the word ‘unfunding’ or ‘defunding’  the Trust but I believe that is in error and can cause unnecessary misunderstanding.  The Company is not defunding the Trust but rather funding it ‘monthly’ as opposed to carrying a long term balance.  There IS a tax advantage for both Company and Beneficiary from the Section 501(c)(9) nature of the Trust so, one would expect to see the Company continue to keep the Trust even though the funding is not executed well in advance. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Full post disclaimer in left column. PCN Home Page is located at: http://pcn.homestead.com/home01.html

Travel / Non Revving - HL 368

 Note:  About layover hotels (List Now Updated as of Nov 2021) Lists are no longer accessible on the DeltaNet.  The page is password protected for our PCN group ONLY.  Please use the password of pcnpilot

To access the 2021 listing of layover hotels click here:  http://pcn.homestead.com/Seniority.html

NEW RETIREE PASS PROGRAM RE-VISITED

Enhanced Retiree S3A Priority Travel Days

 ​​Based on direct feedback from employees and retirees, Delta has introduced an annual allotment of S3A priority flight days for Delta retirees and survivors. This S3A priority is based on your pass eligibility date and will move you and your eligible pass riders using S3A ahead of all S3B passengers on the standby list. 

Eligibility 

Six (6) S3A flight days have been made available to current and future pass travel eligible Delta retirees, survivors and each of their eligible pass riders. 

Who is eligible for S3A Priority Flight Days?  

·       Retiree 

·       Survivors who meet eligibility requirements 

·       Spouse/Domestic Partner/Travel Companion 

·       Dependent children  

 

Who is not eligible for S3A Priority Flight Days? 

·       Nondependent children 

·       Parents 

 

S3A Priority Flight Days 

Effective October 14, 2020, all current and future pass travel eligible Delta retirees, survivors and their eligible pass riders received an annual allotment of six (6) S3A priority flight days each year on your pass eligibility date (unused S3A Flight Days cannot be carried over). For those days you want to enhance your chances of clearing the standby list, you can use the S3A standby code. Prior approval is not required, just save this standby code for when you really need it. 

Note: For employees that participated in the 2020 Voluntary Departure Program and are eligible for retiree pass travel privileges, S3A passes will be available beginning one year after the retirement or separation date and after completing the one year of active employee pass travel privileges that are part of that program. Employees that retire in the future will be eligible for S3A passes on their retirement effective date. 

What happens if the S3A Priority Flight Days are exceeded by any pass rider? 

If a pass rider exceeds allotments, the primary pass rider will be penalized $150 per day exceeded for domestic travel and $300 per day exceeded for transoceanic travel. Unauthorized use of S3A Priority Flight Days may also result in suspension of pass privileges and/or administrative action, up to and including termination of pass travel privileges. 

Standby Priority on Connection Carriers  

Boarding priority for  employees and their eligible pass riders varies depending on the Delta Connection carrier. Overall, Delta employees travel at a higher boarding priority than Delta Connection employees on mainline flights and at an elevated boarding priority on certain Delta Connection flights. These pages describe the pass privileges and boarding priority that Delta, Delta Connection, Regional Elite and former DGS employees receive on Delta Connection carriers. Click on each carrier below to learn about their boarding priority. 

·       Endeavor 

·       SkyWest 

·       Republic Airline (formerly Shuttle America) ​

Date of Travel 

On the date of travel, S3A can be used by a retiree, survivor or their eligible pass riders, to move ahead of S3B pass riders on the standby list.  

When using an S3A flight day, eligible pass riders will be added to the standby list above other S3B pass riders and among Endeavor and Delta Private Jets pass riders who are also eligible for S3A. Clearing of nonrevenue passengers with S3A standby code is based on pass eligibility date. 

 

Flight Days 

A flight day is a calendar day and allotments are based on scheduled departure time. On each allotted flight day, you may depart on as many flights as you wish. For all scheduled departures made on the same calendar day your allotment will be reduced by one flight day. However, some destinations require more than one calendar day to reach. In these cases where you continue to travel in one direction to your final destination, but flights are scheduled to depart on two consecutive calendar days, only one flight day will be decremented. 

Example: You're using an S3A standby code between Honolulu and Orlando with a connection in Salt Lake City: 

·       The originating flight departs Honolulu on 01 May at 11 p.m. and arrives in Salt Lake City at 9 a.m. on 02 May. 

·       The connecting flight departs Salt Lake City on 02 May at 10 a.m. and arrives in Orlando at 4:30 p.m. 

·       Since the travel between Honolulu and Orlando requires more than 1 flight day and occurred on two consecutive dates, only one S3A​ flight day would be decremented from your allotment. 

Flight days do not carry over from year to year; they must be used within the anniversary ​year in which they are allotted. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Full post disclaimer in left column. PCN Home Page is located at: http://pcn.homestead.com/home01.html

Misc - HL 368 (2)

Delta plane crash latest: 'Extreme conditions' at Toronto airport in days before crash

At least 21 people were injured in Monday's crash, officials said.

ByDavid Brennan, Emily Shapiro, Meredith Deliso, Will Gretsky, Sam Sweeney, Ayesha Ali, and Clara McMichael

Video byJulian Kim and Peter Charalambous

February 19, 2025, 11:41 PM

Passengers leave a Delta Air Lines-operated CRJ900 aircraft that crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Feb. 17, 2025.

As investigators work to determine what caused Delta Flight 4819 to crash and overturn at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday, the Toronto Pearson president and CEO noted the "extreme conditions" at the airport in the days before the dramatic incident.

Toronto Pearson President and CEO Deborah Flint said that from Thursday to Sunday, there were "extreme conditions" at the airport from two separate storms.

A Delta Air Lines plane lies upside down at Toronto Pearson Airport, Feb. 18, 2025.

Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP

MORE: Dramatic video shows moment Delta plane flipped after landing in Toronto

 

"On Thursday and Sunday, we got more than 20 inches, 50 centimeters of accumulated snow. That is actually not typical. In fact, it is more snow within that time window than we received in all of last winter," Flint said at a news conference Tuesday. "There were many delays and cancelations across this part of Canada and the U.S. Northeast during this time, creating numerous flight delays and backlogs."

"Monday was a clear day, though, and it was an operational recovery day for Toronto Pearson," Flint said.

Read More: https://abcnews.go.com/International/delta-plane-crash-investigators-piece-toronto-airport-incident/story?id=118916562

++++++++++++

American Airlines flight diverted to Rome due to bomb threat

A source familiar with the situation said the bomb threat towards Flight AA292, which was traveling from New York to New Delhi, was sent via email.

Feb. 23, 2025, 2:03 PM EST

By Claudio Lavanga, Mirna Alsharif, Nollaig O'Connor and Jay Blackman

An American Airlines flight traveling from New York to New Delhi was diverted to Rome Sunday due to a bomb threat, according to a source familiar with the situation.

In a statement, American Airlines said Flight AA292 was traveling from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Indira Gandhi International Airport before it diverted to Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport “due to a possible security issue," adding later that it "was determined to be non-credible." Per Indira Gandhi International Airport's protocol, an inspection was required before the plane landed there.

The bomb threat made against the flight was sent via email, according to the source familiar with the situation. The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported the security issue.

Read More: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/american-airlines-flight-diverted-rome-security-reasons-rcna193370

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Full post disclaimer in left column. PCN Home Page is located at: http://pcn.homestead.com/home01.html