Release #: Vol. 84, No. 6
August 01, 2015

Our Union: The Habit of Excellence

By Capt. Tim Canoll, ALPA President

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit,” said American writer Will Durant in paraphrasing the Greek philosopher Aristotle’s view on virtue.

Airline pilots understand intuitively the need to repeat and practice the skills and characteristics that define success in our profession. Whether it’s repeating a specific flight maneuver until it becomes rote or applying the highest standards to the point they are routine, we value firsthand experience to make professional excellence second nature.

As testament, airline pilots spend hundreds of hours in a simulator over their careers. Under controlled circumstances, they see and react to an enormous range of possible scenarios to put into practice how to achieve the safest outcome for their passengers, cargo, and flight crew.

Every airline pilot has, for example, practiced a “V₁ cut” to train for an engine failure that occurs at the most critical moment during takeoff. Because of the serious consequences of improperly performing the maneuver if it should become necessary in real operations, pilots conduct it many times in simulators—during initial and upgrade training, as well as during recurrent check rides.

ALPA’s commitment to making excellence a habit of mind is one important reason our union is engaged in all aspects of pilot training. As just one example of this, ALPA was at the forefront of the FAA’s Aviation Rulemaking Committee on first officer training and qualification to help ensure that new rules, which were implemented in 2013, would be as strong as possible.

While ALPA members appreciate the importance of learning specific skills by performing them, we also recognize the importance of embodying a specific philosophy by practicing it.

For me, this fact never comes into more certain focus than during ALPA’s Air Safety Forum, when our union recognizes excellence in achievement through our annual awards. The examples of extraordinary professionalism and exceptionalism never cease to impress all who attend.

At ALPA’s 61st Air Safety Forum this year, F/O Helena Reidemar (Delta) became the first female ALPA member to receive the Air Safety Award for her dedication to enhancing safety by improving pilot performance. Dr. Reidemar works alongside industry experts, scientists, and regulators responsible for setting the U.S. national direction in pilot training.

Capt. Darrin Dorn (Alaska) was recognized this year with ALPA’s top security honor for his efforts to advance aviation security through a specialized individual crewmember security program and a video series designed to enhance pilots’ situational awareness.

This year, it became clear that a habit of excellence can also emerge in a single action when ALPA honored Delta Capt. James Judkins and F/O Michael Oates with its Superior Airmanship Award. Our union recognized these pilots’ extraordinary efforts in performing an emergency landing in low visibility after a series of inflight electrical failures disabled several of the aircraft’s cockpit systems. The flight crew’s expert piloting safeguarded the lives of the more than 100 passengers and crewmembers aboard the aircraft.

In addition, Capt. David McKenney (United) received an ALPA Presidential Citation. Currently our union’s director of Pilot Training Programs, McKenney’s dedication has helped to ensure that pilot training constantly changes and adapts to the needs of today’s cockpit and flight environments.

ALPA recognized F/O Mark Crystal (ExpressJet) with its Outstanding Airport Safety Liaison Award for his efforts to advance the highest standards of aviation safety at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Finally, our union named the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport the 2014–15 Airport of the Year for its outstanding commitment to engaging with airline pilots during construction of its new south runway.

Aristotle wrote that “these virtues are formed in man by his doing the actions.” The habit of excellence is an acquired behavior. For more than eight decades, it is one that has been required by and of every ALPA pilot.

This article is from the August 2015 issue of Air Line Pilot magazine, the Official Journal of the Air Line Pilots Association, International—a monthly publication for all ALPA members.

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