ALPA is proud to celebrate National Aviation Day—chosen in honor of Orville Wright’s birthday. This is a day to honor the lasting legacy set by the Wright brothers, who flew the first powered aircraft in 1903. National Aviation Day has been celebrated since 1939, when a proclamation made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt highlighted how aviation had started to grow and thrive as an industry in the United States and around the world. National Aviation Day is a time to reflect on the history of aviation and how far the industry has come. ALPA’s motto, “Schedule with Safety,” has continued to be prevalent in air travel. Aviation will never stop advancing, and both safety and security must always advance with it.
Some lawmakers, however, are attempting to insert a provision in the FAA reauthorization bill that would take pilots out of the cockpit and develop a program of single-piloted commercial operations. That’s clearly working backwards when it comes to aviation safety; aviation is safest when two pilots are in the cockpit. To continue the positive trend of safety, spend your National Aviation Day by making your voice heard. We need your help to speak up on behalf of both pilots and passengers. Two well-trained, rested, and experienced pilots are needed in the cockpit of every airline flight. Contact your Member of Congress and urge them to protect aviation safety.