In honor of dads everywhere this Father’s Day, we’ve collected dad-themed “All in the Family” stories from ALPA members—first-person stories that truly showcase how the love of flying runs in the family. Happy Father’s Day!

100 years ago today, on May 15, 1918, the first U.S. airmail service flight traveled from New York to Washington, D.C., in what became a new way to transport mail aside from steamboats and railroads, and ultimately changed how people and businesses received their mail in the United States. ALPA’s founders and early members had a long history with airmail service, with many of them flying as airmail carriers. In 1931, Capt. Dave Behncke, ALPA’s first president, set out to advocate to protect and enhance the working conditions of line pilots.

Since the early twentieth century, pilots have played an integral role in the transport of air mail. Acknowledging this rich history, two new stamps were officially unveiled today by the United States Postal Service (USPS) that celebrate the 100th anniversary of the start of air mail service. During a special ceremony at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, the USPS announced that the first stamp would be released today to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the start of air mail service, and the second would be released later this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of air mail being recognized as an official service of the USPS. 

Former WWII Army Air Corps pilot August Harvey “Augie” Martin flew part-time for several smaller air carriers before becoming the first African-American to fly for a major U.S. airline.

Like many couples, Pete and Cheryl Pitzer (both captains at FedEx Express) met on the job. “We met on long BQN layovers,” explained Cheryl. “We flew two months together then I moved to another aircraft type. From the start it was a long-distance relationship that was helped by the ease of travel, she said. “Pete lived in Memphis, I lived in Dallas; we would visit each other.”