Flying the Line

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 Northwest Airlines alleging that “Pilot pushing” is what killed her husband, pilot Joe Livermore.

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 aviation safety, eliminating the practice of "pilot pushing," and setting the bar for aviation safety for pilots, passengers, and cargo.

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 gave ALPA its first opportunity to negotiate a labor dispute between its members and management. In this first part of Chapter 6, we'll learn how E.L. Cord's ambitious plot to turn a profit at the expense of his pilots led to the first strike in commercial aviation.

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 aviation, but it was key to positioning ALPA as a major player in the labor movement as well as the aviation industry. Learn how missteps by E.L. Cord and smart maneuvering by ALPA founder Dave Behncke led to ALPA securing higher standards for airline pilots throughout the industry.

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 Franklin Roosevelt and his New Deal, ALPA positioned itself into a formidable force in commercial aviation which allowed ALPA to advocate for the pilot compensation system which is still in use today.

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 Washington. Through ALPA's advocacy in the early days of the National Recovery Administration's "Code Hearings," ALPA was able to secure the foundation of the pilot compensation system in the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938, which is still in use today.

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 would fight hard to create a tiered system of pay. Learn how Behncke and ALPA leveraged the precedent set by Decision 83 to set up the pilot pay system airline pilots enjoy today, and how this issue galvanized all airline pilots to "think collectively and work collectively."

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 paid a certain amount for flying. Facing a hostile, anti-union environment, the pilots of Long & Harmon decided to fight back against their management's flagrant disregard of Decision 83. This fight set the precedent for pilot pay provisions that would eventually be cemented in future legislation.

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 to the system being rigged against the very pilots that these associations were supposedly set up to protect. In the early days of commercial aviation, accidents were far too often blamed on “pilot error," and these associations were often complicit in scapegoating the pilots for accidents.

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 error" was a commonly cited cause for accidents. However, because a prominent politician was involved in the crash of TWA Flight 6, the U.S. Commerce Department played a large role in the fallout. Meanwhile, the management of TWA knew that they would eventually fall under increased scrutiny, and realized that the company-sponsored "TWA Pilots Association" and their opposition to an independent airline accident investigation agency proposed by ALPA and Dave Behncke would quickly be unpopular with the public at large.

ALPA advocates on behalf of having three pilots working on the flight deck of the new airliners of the post-World War 2 era, but accidents and pilot pranks do little to help the cause, all while one airline’s pilots mull over leaving the Association.

Following watershed strikes at Continental and United, mergers test ALPA's strength and determination.  

In the span of one lifetime, commercial aviation has made progress that would shame the wildest flights of science fiction fancy. And yet, the basic process of flight, of readying both pilot and airplane, is eerily similar. Join us as we examined the challenges of airline flying, the evolving industry landscape, and the perception of the airline pilot in the public psyche, in our new podcast, Flying the Line, Vol. 2!

The deregulation of the airline industry makes an indelible mark on the modern profession, as politics and economics become a part of an airline pilot's daily routine.  

In this episode, we look at the legacy of ALPA President J.J. O'Donnell, the effects of the skyjacking phenomenon, and an impending suspension of service.

We examine the administrative change from regional to executive vice president and how that changed the political landscape of the Air Line Pilots Association. 

We examine ALPA's administrative change from regional to executive vice president and how that changed the political landscape.

In this episode, we examine the reasons behind Braniff's demise. 

In this episode, we look at how Braniff pilots faced a crisis that no other U.S. pilot group had ever confronted.  

In this episode, we examine the PATCO strike and its effect on ALPA and airline labor.

This episode covers the PATCO strike and its impact on ALPA, the J.J. O'Donnell administration, and airline labor.

We review the events and decisions leading up to the 1982 ALPA presidential election.

In this episode, J.J. O'Donnell seeks reelection despite the Braniff and PATCO debacles. Learn more about the ALPA presidential election of 1982 and how labor protection provisions, or LPPs, played a role. 

In this episode, we follow Hank Duffy's path to Delta Air Lines. 

In this episode, we explore the experiences that led Hank Duffy to pursue the ALPA presidency. 

In this episode we take a look inside the transition from J.J. O'Donnell's administration to Hank Duffy's. 

We explore the Duffy administration's inauspicious start and the emergence of Frank Lorenzo. 

A new breed of corporate leadership challenges the status quo in the aviation industry. 

Frank Lorenzo enters the industry and advances his airline ambitions.

Frank Lorenzo takes over Continental Airlines. 

A rift between junior and senior Continental pilots occurs when they most desperately need to be unified.

Hank Duffy inherits the debacle at Continental.

In this episode we look at airline deregulation and the evolving nature and influence of the Republican Party.

ALPA's responds to the adverse effects of deregulation, recession, and the Lorenzo wars by forming a Political Action Committee. 

With ample resources hidden in Continental Airlines' parent company, Texas Air Corporation, Lorenzo files for bankruptcy.

Frank Lorenzo uses the leverage of Chapter 11 to compel Continental pilots to make even more concessions.

Continental's striking pilots fight back as Frank Lorenzo looks for ways to keep his airline flying.

The Bildisco decision, although temporary in its precedence, seals the Continental pilots' fate.

ALPA raises safety concerns as Continental continues to fly during its protracted strike.

An unlikely connection between United's CEO and the pilots' MEC chair leads to a controversial contract proposal.

A Ferg-Ferris alliance and the contentious “Blue Skies” agreement lead to concerns about the United pilots' possible secession from ALPA.

The United pilots' Blue Skies honeymoon is cut short with the introduction of a two-tiered wage scale.

During the United 29-day strike in 1985, the MEC miraculously convinces 570 new pilots in training not to cross the picket line.

A 29-day strike tests the fortitude of the United pilots and ALPA as a whole.

With the 1986 ALPA presidential election neck and neck, candidate Tom Ashwood challenges the union's use of its long-standing, contracted law firm.

Incumbent Hank Duffy and First Vice President Tom Ashwood angle for position in the 1986 ALPA presidential elections.

ALPA President Hank Duffy struggles to keep ALPA's larger pilot groups from going independent amid the newly deregulated airline environment.

As Frank Lorenzo gains control of Eastern Airlines, ALPA President Hank Duffy prepares to take on his greatest challenge. 

ALPA and Frank Lorenzo maneuver for the high ground at Eastern Airlines, and Lorenzo demonstrates that he has no intention of working cooperatively.

In response to the Eastern pilot strike, Frank Lorenzo files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

With no hope of an SOS (suspension of service), the Eastern pilots attempt a “back door” Presidential Emergency Board, which George Bush vetoes.

Frank Lorenzo's failure at Eastern is so complete that he, for all intents and purposes, is finished in the airline industry.

Eastern's Randy Babbit and United's Roger Hall vie for the ALPA presidency.

Hank Duffy's Executive Administrator Randy Babbitt wins the ALPA presidency in a closely contested election against Roger Hall.