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Allied Pilots Association Launches Video Capturing Day in the Life of Professional Pilots
Video highlights “challenging conditions, changing schedules and long days” to illustrate why pilot scheduling is so critical to air operations and safety
FORT WORTH, Texas (July 22, 2019) – The Allied Pilots Association (APA) today released a new cinematic video that captures a day in the life of three active American Airlines pilots, illustrating both the challenges and rewards professional pilots experience at a time when their expertise and commitment to safety have never been more important. To watch the video, click here.
“The pilots of American Airlines carry an awesome amount of responsibility every day. We take seriously our training, our commitment to safety, and our responsibility for both passengers’ lives and life’s most important moments,” said APA President Capt. Eric Ferguson. “By depicting what it means to get in the cockpit every day, this video shows that professional pilots shoulder these challenges willingly – and with pride.”
The video typifies the life of a professional pilot, including the “challenging conditions, changing schedules, and long days” they regularly encounter. As the video says, “No one said this job was easy … but we’re pilots. We’re proud of our work.” The video takes viewers from the cockpit to life on the road and depicts early mornings, nights away from family, as well as warm welcomes home.
The video also comes at a time when the APA is engaged with American Airlines in contract negotiations. It touches on some of the most significant issues that pilots have raised in negotiations, including safety, scheduling, and quality of life.
APA continues to advocate for an industry-leading contract that improves the way pilots are scheduled, how passengers are treated, and the working relationship between American Airlines and the pilots. This includes improved scheduling, the quality of layover hotel accommodations, long-term disability benefits, and the overall quality of pilots’ work life.
“It’s time for management to match the contribution of pilots by taking meaningful action at the negotiating table,” Capt. Ferguson said. “This video should make clear: Without its pilots, American Airlines as we know it would not exist.”
Founded in 1963, the Allied Pilots Association — the largest independent pilots union in the United States — is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. APA represents the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines, including several hundred pilots on full-time military leave of absence serving in the armed forces. The union's website is AlliedPilots.org. American Airlines is the world's largest passenger airline.