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Pilot Union President

BY OSCAR LEIDING

PART 1

THE STORY of DAVID L. Behncke is the story of the Air Line Pilots Association -- and the story of the ALPA is the story of Dave Behncke.

For all the dozen-odd years of the ALPA's life Behncke has been its president. No matter affecting the interests of the airline pilots can be said to be solved until he has had his say; no Washington hearing involving them is complete without the slow-spoken Behncke.

His creed is simple--to protect the interests of the pilots--and he has the confidence of his followers because he's no outsider, but one of the family; he was a flyer long before he became a labor leader and insists he's still a flyer at heart.

Army reserve pilot, barnstormer, airline pilot, Behncke grew into a labor leader under the stress of what he calls an "hours up--wages down" trend for the men behind the stick in commercial air transport.

Flyer

Piloting was his main activity for some 25 years. Only a few years ago

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