ALPA pilots were on Capitol Hill this week as the U.S. federal government took steps to avert a shutdown and Congress extended the current authorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) until March 31, 2016.

It is indeed good news that the FAA’s authorization has been extended, but this week’s temporary fix is just the latest example of Congress’s long history of stop-and-start funding for the agency. While erratic reauthorization has made it challenging for the FAA to implement necessary safety and air traffic system upgrades, the progress made during its most recent three-year reauthorization offers a taste of the advancement that stable funding makes possible. For example, over the last three years, the FAA made significant strides in air traffic flow and coordination through en route automation modernization (ERAM) and gained safety, environmental, and efficiency benefits through a number of NextGen initiatives such as ADS-B and performance-based navigation implementation.

Education is one important element in ALPA’s four-part solution to safely integrating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace. As a result, this week, ALPA joined the “Know Before You Fly” campaign, a public initiative designed to inform those interested in flying an unmanned aircraft about the safe and responsible operation of UAS.

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.

As a profession, nothing compares to being an airline pilot. Ask any pilot and you’ll find that we are extremely passionate about flying. For us, it’s more than just a job, it’s in our blood—and you would be hard-pressed to find an airline pilot who would rather do anything else.

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.