Worldwide, one of the biggest threats to the aviation system are atypical employment models, such as the ones being used by Ryanair in several countries in Europe.  Employers—through a variety of schemes—use atypical employment to dissolve their direct relationship with their pilots and cabin crews. These arrangements, which may include misclassifying pilots as self-employed or independent contractors, are meant to undermine the right to collectively bargain and otherwise dismantle the traditional employee-employer relationship related to pay, benefits, and working conditions

Eighty-eight years ago on July 27, 24 “Key Men” led by Capt. Dave Behncke, founded the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). During the early days of air travel, pilots lacked many basic safety provisions. Capt. Behncke, ALPA’s first president, had the foresight to bring pilots together with one goal: to advance aviation safety—and that goal remains the core of our mission today.

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing of Apollo 11, the first spaceflight to land humans on the moon. Eight years after President John F. Kennedy’s call for Americans to go to the moon and come back, Apollo 11—the fifth manned mission of NASA’s Apollo program—was launched from Kennedy Space Center. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the lunar module “Eagle” at 20:18 UTC. The video broadcast of the two astronauts became the first TV transmission to Earth from the moon. An estimated 530 million people watched the video images of Neil Armstrong walking on the lunar surface. It was during this broadcast that Armstrong said his famous words, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” thus ushering in a new era for space exploration.

Today, only 2.5 percent of airline pilots in the United States are of Asian American/Pacific Islander decent. For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, ALPA is proud to honor the contributions of some of the first Asian-Pacific American aviators and reflect on the hardships and challenges they faced. Let us introduce you to a few unsung heroes who overcame obstacles to blaze a path forward for future aviators. 

 

Every day, ALPA pilots fly nearly two million people around the globe, keeping passengers, crew, and cargo safe seven miles above the Earth—that’s because we are #TrainedforLife. Along the way, ALPA pilots can capture some of the most stunning photos. As we celebrate Earth Day this year, take a moment to enjoy some of our favorite (and most breathtaking!) photos, as seen from the skies.