From ALPA International to all our friends, members, and staff in Canada: Happy Thanksgiving! This weekend, as we join our Canadian colleagues to reflect on how and why we are so fortunate, we should be grateful for the generations of pilots who came before us who established and built this great union. Their legacy is ours to defend and build upon, not only for ourselves but for future generations of airline pilots.

Our union was founded on the core principle of democracy, and the achievements we have made over the decades have been through the ability to choose, solidarity, and plain hard work.

It seems fitting this year that Canada’s advance polling for the upcoming elections falls during the Thanksgiving holiday. For airline pilots who will be flying on October 19, Canada’s official Election Day, this weekend (October 9-12) provides the opportunity to participate in the democratic process at local electoral districts across the country.

On Saturday, September 26, ALPA and the world’s aviation community celebrated Girls in Aviation Day, an international event sponsored by Women in Aviation International.

From Atlanta, Ga., to Ypsilanti, Mich., ALPA pilots were front and center in commemorating the day. Girls in Aviation Day is designed to give girls an opportunity to connect with other girls and women who are interested in aviation, explore careers in the aviation and aerospace industry, and experience firsthand what it’s like to be a pilot or other aviation industry professional.

As airline pilots, most of us felt the passion to fly from an early age—we knew we wanted to fly almost before we could walk. But understanding how to follow that passion required information and role models to show the way. Events like Girls in Aviation Day provide girls of all ages with the opportunity to meet pilots and other aviation professionals to learn about their real-word experiences and to ask questions in an encouraging environment.

On this fourteenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, ALPA pilots have no need to retell the story that all of us know so painfully well.

That terrible day, ALPA members lost coworkers, friends, and family members. Many were aboard American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77, and United Airlines Flight 93. And many were among the nearly 3,000 individuals on the ground who lost their lives trying to help others or simply found themselves in harm’s way.

On this date of remembrance of the past, it is equally important to recognize that every day since the attack has served as a living testament of our resiliency as a people. Beyond acknowledging the sacrifice of those we lost, we who are the guardians of their legacy have moved forward to rebuild our nation and our industry in their honor.

This weekend, both Canada and the United States recognize the importance of labor/labour in our countries.

We know how vital labor organizations are and that they are an essential bulwark against continuing efforts to erode pay and benefits and deepen the divide between employees and those who employ them. They are indeed worth celebrating.

Airline pilots’ job one? Aviation safety. It’s the cornerstone of the Air Line Pilots Association International’s very mission: “To promote and champion all aspects of aviation safety throughout all segments of the aviation community.”

It’s also the reason why ALPA is the largest nongovernmental aviation safety organization in the world, powered by airline pilots who volunteer their time and expertise to make the safest mode of transportation on earth even safer. And today, ALPA proudly celebrates National Aviation Day by sharing just a few of our pilots’ many contributions to aviation safety and security. Maybe you’ll notice them on your next flight.