Flying the Line

Chapter 12 (Part 2)-”The TWA Strike of 1946”

The pilots of TWA struck over “the four-engine pay problem” and another pilots association threatens to cross picket lines. However in the midst of all this, ALPA Preside

Chapter 12 (Part 1)-”The TWA Strike of 1946”

Advancements in aircraft design inevitably lead to increased efficiency and productivity. With TWA priding itself on being at the forefront of aircraft design and technol

Chapter 11 (Part 2)-”Wartime!”

In the midst of the United States fighting a global war, ALPA fought to protect its pilots. With airline operators using wartime needs as an excuse to roll back flying li

Chapter 11 (Part 1)-”Wartime!”

In the early years of its existence, ALPA made considerable gains in protecting pay and benefits for pilots flying the line. In addition to the gains in labor, ALPA also

Chapter 10 (Part 2)-”Dave Behncke: An American Success Story”

Dave Behncke's path to becoming the founder and head of ALPA was not a direct one. While Behncke finally achieved the military assignment he had coveted, it was short-liv

Chapter 10 (Part 1)-”Dave Behncke: An American Success Story”

Learn about the origins and story of ALPA's first president, Dave Behncke. Join us to retrace Behncke's journey from a small Midwestern farm to the head of one of the lar

Chapter 9 (Part 2)-”The Rise and Fall of the TWA Pilots' Association”

The flight that killed U.S. Senator Bronson Cutting from New Mexico brought renewed scrutiny to the airline accident investigations process. Until this point, "pilot erro

Chapter 9 (Part 1)-”The Rise and Fall of the TWA Pilots' Association”

Learn what chain of events led to the rise of one of the first airline-sponsored pilots' associations, the TWA Pilots' Association. Associations such as these often led t

Chapter 8 (Part 2)-”Flying for a Rogue Airline”

Long and Harmon were essentially running a rogue airline that was refusing to abide by Decision 83, which was the National Labor Board edict that required pilots to be pa

Chapter 8 (Part 1)-"Flying for a Rogue Airline"

ALPA's first president, Dave Behncke was determined to make sure that all airline pilots would be treated equally with the respect they deserved. But airline management w

Chapter 7 (Part 2)-"Perils in Washington"

Expert maneuvering by ALPA's first president, Capt. Dave Behncke helped propel ALPA from a small lobbying group to the most respected voice for airline pilots in Washingt

Chapter 7 (Part 1)-"Perils in Washington"

The early days of ALPA's presence in Washington were filled with political maneuvering spearheaded by ALPA's founder, Dave Behncke. Through ALPA's support of President Fr

Chapter 6 (Part 2)-"The Trouble with E.L. Cord"

The Century Airlines Strike of 1932 was quite the spectacle during the early days of commercial aviation. Not only was it a pivotal event in the history of commercial avi

Chapter 6 (Part 1)-"The Trouble with E.L. Cord"

E.L. Cord was the owner of Century Air Lines, but more importantly, his name was the rallying cry for organizing pilots in the 1930s. The Century Air Lines Strike of 1932

Chapter 5 (Part 2)-"The Livermore Affair"

In this episode, we hear the conclusion of the Livermore Affair and learn how this tragedy set the groundwork for ALPA's critical role in setting high standards for aviat

Chapter 5 (Part 1)-"The Livermore Affair"

In 1937, a young widow by the name of Lorna Livermore helped ALPA shed light on the practice of “pilot pushing” with the public for the very first time when she sued Nort

Chapter 4-"The Airmail Pilots' Strike of 1919"

The Airmail Pilots' Strike of 1919 was one of the earliest organized actions taken by pilots. This 4-day strike led to concessions by Post Office management to eliminate

Chapter 3-"Pilot Pushing"

This week, we’ll hear about how the deadly practice of “pilot pushing” played a huge role in Capt. David Behncke’s drive to organize his fellow brother pilots.

Chapter 2-"Stepping on Toes"

This week, hear about the 24 "key men" who saw themselves as good "company men" but were labeled as "troublemakers" by their airline management. ALPA's Key Men faced much

Chapter 1-'What's a Pilots' Worth?'