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

Chapter 10-”Dave Behncke: An American Success Story” (Part 2): 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 de... by Flying the Line

12 min listen

Chapter 1-'What's a Pilots' Worth?' by Flying the Line

14 min listen

Chapter 6-"The Trouble with E.L. Cord" (Part 2): 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... by Flying the Line

15 min listen

Chapter 5-"The Livermore Affair" (Part 2): 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 avi... by Flying the Line

17 min listen

Chapter 7-"Perils in Washington" (Part 2): 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 Administratio... by Flying the Line

20 min listen

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 roo... by Flying the Line

15 min listen

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. by Flying the Line

15 min listen

Chapter 8-”Flying for a Rogue Airline” (Part 2): 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... by Flying the Line

15 min listen

Chapter 5-"The Livermore Affair" (Part 1): 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 L... by Flying the Line

15 min listen

Chapter 9-”The Rise and Fall of the TWA Pilots' Association” (Part 1): 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 suppo... by Flying the Line

14 min listen

Chapter 7-"Perils in Washington" (Part 1): 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... by Flying the Line

18 min listen

Episode 8 - The Braniff Debacle—Deregulation Hits Home, Part 2: In this episode, we look at how Braniff pilots faced a crisis that no other U.S. pilot group had ever confronted. by Flying the Line

20 min listen

Chapter 8-"Flying for a Rogue Airline" (Part 1): 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 leverag... by Flying the Line

18 min listen

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... by Flying the Line

14 min listen

Chapter 19 - Internal Politicking, 1960–1962: The 1960 election of President John F. Kennedy opens new doors for labor, in both aviation and other industries. And the promise of a new age spawns new ambitions for leaders and politicians alike. by Flying the Line

25 min listen

Chapter 6-"The Trouble with E.L. Cord" (Part 1): 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 an... by Flying the Line

16 min listen

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. by Flying the Line

15 min listen

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 ... by Flying the Line

27 min listen

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 ... by Flying the Line

16 min listen

Chapter 11 (Part 2)-”Wartime!”: In the midst of the United States fighting a global war, as 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 t... by Flying the Line

19 min listen

Chapter 17 (Part 1)- "Safety and Crew Complement in the 1950s": ALPA advocates on behalf of having three pilots working on the flight deck of the new airliners of the post-World War 2 era, but accidents and pilot pranks do little to help the cause, all while one airline’s pilots mull over leaving the Association. by Flying the Line

19 min listen

Chapter 18 (Part 2) - The Southern Airways Strike of 1960: The striking pilots of Southern Airways resort to unorthodox tactics, including starting their own airline, to win public support, and the federal government intervenes. But this strike tests the Association like no conflict prior. And with the country’s... by Flying the Line

18 min listen

Chapter 20 (Part 1) - Charley Ruby's Hour: The election of ALPA President Charles Ruby, a seemingly status quo leader, brings reform and new ideas to the Association – challenging what some members’ thoughts on what their union’s purpose should be. by Flying the Line

22 min listen

Chapter 9-”The Rise and Fall of the TWA Pilots' Association” (Part 2): 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... by Flying the Line

13 min listen

Chapter 10-”Dave Behncke: An American Success Story” (Part 1): 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. by Flying the Line

13 min listen

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. by Flying the Line

11 min listen

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 ... by Flying the Line

14 min listen

Chapter 22 (Part 1) - "American Airlines Goes It Alone": The pilots of American Airlines decide to chart their own future after the issue of crew complement returns to the forefront, and dissident leaders seize their chance to break away. by Flying the Line

20 min listen

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 Geor... by Flying the Line

14 min listen

Chapter 12 (Part 1)-”The TWA Strike of 1946” by Flying the Line

16 min listen

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

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

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