Fun Fact: This house, which served as ALPA’s first office, actually just came on the market. You can buy Dave Behncke’s house for $111,000.

Join us on a journey through the headquarters of the world’s largest airline pilots union—the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA). From humble beginnings to today’s technological conference center, we’ll explore the many places ALPA pilots have called HQ.

1930s: Humble Beginnings

On July 27, 1931, ALPA was founded in the ballroom of the Morrison Hotel. The first ALPA office, however, was in the living room of its first president, Capt. David L. Behncke (Boeing Air Transport) in his house at 6501 S. Fairfield Street in Chicago, Ill. Today, the 915 square-foot brick home remains a private residence in Chicago’s Marquette Park neighborhood.

After a short stint in the Troy Lane Hotel—chosen for its proximity to the Midway Airport—ALPA moved into its first office building in 1932, located at 3145 W. 63rd Street in Chicago. Under Behncke’s leadership, the union’s office footprint expanded to two offices spaces across the street at 3148 W. 63rd St.

1950s: Growing to Fit the Association

In 1951, ALPA opened its 27,000 square foot office building, adjacent to Midway Airport, at 5440 Cicero Avenue. Behncke made suggestions to its ultra-modern design.

Fun Fact: The Cicero office was demolished (during which a time capsule was rediscovered!), and its location today is now part of the realigned perimeter road of Midway’s northeast corner, near the rental car lots. However, a piece of this office—a mail drop door—resides in the atrium of the Association’s Herndon, Va., offices, as a tribute to Behncke’s founding efforts.

1960s: A Big Move

By the 1960s, ALPA’s third president, Capt. Charles Ruby (National Airlines), oversaw the move of most of the Cicero office to Washington, D.C., to a temporary location at 1329 E Street NW, only 3 blocks from the White House. Under Ruby’s leadership, ALPA also purchased the land for the current headquarters at 1625 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C.

1970s: A Permanent Space of Our Own

All operations moved, under the leadership of ALPA’s fourth president Capt. John J. O’Donnell (Eastern Air Lines), in late 1972, encompassing space roughly eight times larger than the Cicero offices. It also centrally located the Association in downtown Washington to better serve its members and have better access to government agencies.

Fun Fact: While the main offices have since moved west, ALPA continues to operate its Government Affairs Department out of the Massachusetts Avenue office in D.C.

1985: What’s Herndon?

In July of 1985, ALPA moved a large group of its Washington, D.C., staff to a new building in Herndon, Va., a suburb of D.C. just a few miles from Washington Dulles International Airport.

1990s: Expansion in Canada

In 1997, the Canadian Air Line Pilots Association (CALPA) merged with ALPA. The merger brought 10 new pilot groups, representing 2,700 pilots, making the Association an international union that continues to grow.

In the summer of 1999, ALPA opened offices in Ottawa to be closer to Parliament Hill.

Fun Fact: ALPA's original office in Canada previously served as the headquarters for CALPA.

 

Have you had a memorable visit to one of ALPA’s headquarters? Share your story with us Communications@alpa.org as #weareALPA celebrates #ALPA85.