Ryan and Kat Pullis, both captains at Virgin America, met in Hawaii 17 years ago when Kat showed up to flight training with Ryan as the instructor. Three months into their budding relationship came the first airline-related roadblock: Ryan got his first airline job, entering the duo into a long-distance relationship. “Some initial challenges were learning the life of an airline pilot and the crazy schedules that come with that,” Ryan admits. “Also, learning how to cope with the trust issues that come with the career and distance.”

To help commemorate Valentine’s Day this year, we spoke to a selection of six pilot-pilot couples to learn more about their unique relationships. None of them proclaim to have a perfect marriage or believe that they have all the answers. Instead, their stories are meant to educate, to inspire, and hopefully even to provide a pathway for those in or considering entering into their own similar relationship. Today, meet Claude and Jennifer Buraglia.

For airline pilots, February 12 serves as a constant reminder of the importance of aviation safety. Although it’s been nine years since the Colgan Air Flight 3407 tragedy, the gravity of the crash has not diminished—our collective grieving continues and our passion for the safety of our skies has only grown.

Flight 3407 had a profound impact on our industry and, in its aftermath, positive changes in aviation safety emerged. ALPA was an early leader in calling for the strengthening of pilot training and qualification requirements. Through collective efforts with other aviation safety advocates, Congress enacted the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010. 

This week at Asia’s largest air show, the Singapore Airshow, drones continued to dominate the news coverage. With zero commercial aircraft orders announced, there was much discussion on how to effectively ensure that as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) continue to rise in popularity, they do not adversely threaten safety. 

ALPA is gratified and encouraged that the Trump administration has taken initial steps to end unfair trade practices and protect American jobs. The administration has rightly acknowledged that foreign government subsidies and a lack of transparency can affect a fair and equal opportunity for U.S. airlines to compete in the context of U.S. Open Skies agreements.