Flying the Line

Chapter 16 (Part 1)- "The Sayen Style"

In a way, ALPA's second president, Clancy Sayen was a victim of the ouster of ALPA's founder and first president, Dave Behncke. When Sayen joined ALPA, he did not have the presidency in his plans. However, due to his well-spoken and eloquent nature, he started to become noticed by many of his fellow members and quickly ascended to national leadership, which culminated in being chosen to succeed Behncke. The intentional and analytic nature of Sayen came as a stark contrast to Behncke's, and ALPA'...

Chapter 15 (Part 2)-”The Fall of Dave Behncke”

Against all odds and amidst a quickly shifting industry and labor landscape, ALPA’s first president Dave Behncke continues his fight to maintain his position atop the organization he founded. Questions about the legitimacy of an vote takes the battle for leadership into the courtroom.

Chapter 15 (Part 1)-”The Fall of Dave Behncke”

ALPA’s founder and first president, Dave Behncke, works to maintain his position against all odds. But an investigative committee looks into various factors that would eventually lead to his downfall, including discontent among the professional staff of ALPA and the fulfillment of Behncke's dream, ALPA's first national headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.

Chapter 14 (Part 2)-”The Ordeal of E. P. McDonald”

The fight for Capt. MacDonald's career ends with a victory for the union pilots of National Airlines after a long and hard-fought battle with National's CEO, George T. Baker. However, this was only the start of what would be a series of battles with George Baker.

Chapter 14 (Part 1)-”The Ordeal of E. P. McDonald”

In the wake of the National Airlines strike, management resorts to dirty tricks to topple labor, and one pro-ALPA captain, Ed McDonald, is removed from flying as two other pilots sabotage his airmanship.

Chapter 13 (Part 2)-”The National Airlines Strike of 1948”

In ALPA’s short history, Ted Baker, the owner of National Airlines, was one of the most unscrupulous operators Dave Behncke had to deal with. The pilots of National Airlines attempted to hold their management accountable for poor working conditions, but to no avail. This, compounded with the firing of one pilot resulted in the pilots voting to authorize a strike. Hear how the longest and costliest strike at in the history of ALPA to that point, turned out.

Chapter 13 (Part 1)-”The National Airlines Strike of 1948”

Fresh off the TWA Pilots’ strike of 1946, ALPA had another battle looming with the management of National Airlines. In the minds of the pilots of National Airlines, the strike of 1948 was like World War II—a good fight, a just cause, an evil foe. George T. “Ted” Baker, founder of National Airlines and its president during the strike, was the villain while ALPA President Dave Behncke was the heroic champion of justice. Learn why ALPA’s National Airlines pilots felt this way about their “unscrupul...

Chapter 12 (Part 2)-”The TWA Strike of 1946”

The pilots of TWA struck over “the four-engine pay problem” and another pilots association threatens to cross picket lines. However in the midst of all this, ALPA President Dave Behncke was rushed to the hospital with a suspected heart attack.

Chapter 12 (Part 1)-”The TWA Strike of 1946”

Advancements in aircraft design inevitably lead to increased efficiency and productivity. With TWA priding itself on being at the forefront of aircraft design and technology, it was all but certain that TWA’s drive to be at the leading edge of air travel would lead to labor unrest with their pilots. Hear how ALPA navigated the tension between increased efficiencies and ensuring its members continued to receive the pay and benefits they deserved.

Chapter 11 (Part 2)-”Wartime!”

In the midst of the United States fighting a global war, ALPA fought to protect its pilots. With airline operators using wartime needs as an excuse to roll back flying limits, ALPA successfully navigated the tension between maintaining the safety of the aviation system, and fulfilling its patriotic duty. Hear how ALPA led its pilots to victory against the complex tapestry of patriotism and aviation safety.

Chapter 11 (Part 1)-”Wartime!”

In the early years of its existence, ALPA made considerable gains in protecting pay and benefits for pilots flying the line. In addition to the gains in labor, ALPA also wielded great power and influence that rivaled the large industrialists of that era. However, with the drumbeats of war growing ever closer to U.S. shores, everything that ALPA had gained up to that moment was at risk of being lost in the name of national security and patriotism.

Chapter 10 (Part 2)-”Dave Behncke: An American Success Story”

Dave Behncke's path to becoming the founder and head of ALPA was not a direct one. While Behncke finally achieved the military assignment he had coveted, it was short-lived. This, along with several other setbacks in his career, convinced him that the decks were stacked against him. Learn about how his failures drove him to become a successful labor leader at the head of one of the most powerful unions of the 20th century.

Chapter 10 (Part 1)-”Dave Behncke: An American Success Story”

Learn about the origins and story of ALPA's first president, Dave Behncke. Join us to retrace Behncke's journey from a small Midwestern farm to the head of one of the largest and most powerful labor unions.

Chapter 9 (Part 2)-”The Rise and Fall of the TWA Pilots' Association”

The flight that killed U.S. Senator Bronson Cutting from New Mexico brought renewed scrutiny to the airline accident investigations process. Until this point, "pilot error" was a commonly cited cause for accidents. However, because a prominent politician was involved in the crash of TWA Flight 6, the U.S. Commerce Department played a large role in the fallout. Meanwhile, the management of TWA knew that they would eventually fall under increased scrutiny, and realized that the company-sponsored "...

Chapter 9 (Part 1)-”The Rise and Fall of the TWA Pilots' Association”

Learn what chain of events led to the rise of one of the first airline-sponsored pilots' associations, the TWA Pilots' Association. Associations such as these often led to the system being rigged against the very pilots that these associations were supposedly set up to protect. In the early days of commercial aviation, accidents were far too often blamed on “pilot error," and these associations were often complicit in scapegoating the pilots for accidents.

Chapter 8 (Part 2)-”Flying for a Rogue Airline”

Long and Harmon were essentially running a rogue airline that was refusing to abide by Decision 83, which was the National Labor Board edict that required pilots to be paid a certain amount for flying. Facing a hostile, anti-union environment, the pilots of Long & Harmon decided to fight back against their management's flagrant disregard of Decision 83. This fight set the precedent for pilot pay provisions that would eventually be cemented in future legislation.

Chapter 8 (Part 1)-"Flying for a Rogue Airline"

ALPA's first president, Dave Behncke was determined to make sure that all airline pilots would be treated equally with the respect they deserved. But airline management would fight hard to create a tiered system of pay. Learn how Behncke and ALPA leveraged the precedent set by Decision 83 to set up the pilot pay system airline pilots enjoy today, and how this issue galvanized all airline pilots to "think collectively and work collectively."

Chapter 7 (Part 2)-"Perils in Washington"

Expert maneuvering by ALPA's first president, Capt. Dave Behncke helped propel ALPA from a small lobbying group to the most respected voice for airline pilots in Washington. Through ALPA's advocacy in the early days of the National Recovery Administration's "Code Hearings," ALPA was able to secure the foundation of the pilot compensation system in the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938, which is still in use today.

Chapter 7 (Part 1)-"Perils in Washington"

The early days of ALPA's presence in Washington were filled with political maneuvering spearheaded by ALPA's founder, Dave Behncke. Through ALPA's support of President Franklin Roosevelt and his New Deal, ALPA positioned itself into a formidable force in commercial aviation which allowed ALPA to advocate for the pilot compensation system which is still in use today.

Chapter 6 (Part 2)-"The Trouble with E.L. Cord"

The Century Airlines Strike of 1932 was quite the spectacle during the early days of commercial aviation. Not only was it a pivotal event in the history of commercial aviation, but it was key to positioning ALPA as a major player in the labor movement as well as the aviation industry. Learn how missteps by E.L. Cord and smart maneuvering by ALPA founder Dave Behncke led to ALPA securing higher standards for airline pilots throughout the industry.

Chapter 6 (Part 1)-"The Trouble with E.L. Cord"

E.L. Cord was the owner of Century Air Lines, but more importantly, his name was the rallying cry for organizing pilots in the 1930s. The Century Air Lines Strike of 1932 gave ALPA its first opportunity to negotiate a labor dispute between its members and management. In this first part of Chapter 6, we'll learn how E.L. Cord's ambitious plot to turn a profit at the expense of his pilots led to the first strike in commercial aviation.

Chapter 5 (Part 2)-"The Livermore Affair"

In this episode, we hear the conclusion of the Livermore Affair and learn how this tragedy set the groundwork for ALPA's critical role in setting high standards for aviation safety, eliminating the practice of "pilot pushing," and setting the bar for aviation safety for pilots, passengers, and cargo.

Chapter 5 (Part 1)-"The Livermore Affair"

In 1937, a young widow by the name of Lorna Livermore helped ALPA shed light on the practice of “pilot pushing” with the public for the very first time when she sued Northwest Airlines alleging that “Pilot pushing” is what killed her husband, pilot Joe Livermore.

Chapter 4-"The Airmail Pilots' Strike of 1919"

The Airmail Pilots' Strike of 1919 was one of the earliest organized actions taken by pilots. This 4-day strike led to concessions by Post Office management to eliminate the practice of "weather pushing" and to increase safety for airmail pilots. The roots of modern-day pilots' unions can be traced back to this important event in aviation history.

Chapter 3-"Pilot Pushing"

This week, we’ll hear about how the deadly practice of “pilot pushing” played a huge role in Capt. David Behncke’s drive to organize his fellow brother pilots.

Chapter 2-"Stepping on Toes"

This week, hear about the 24 "key men" who saw themselves as good "company men" but were labeled as "troublemakers" by their airline management. ALPA's Key Men faced much opposition from both management and other line pilots, but persevered in their work for labor protections, safe working conditions, and benefits, all of which are enjoyed by ALPA members today.

Chapter 1-'What's a Pilots' Worth?'