Viewing page 74 of 88
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
apla's organization for safety The air line pilots have recognized, shouldered and accepted the promulgation and maintenance of air safety as one of their primary responsibilities and obligations. Recognition of this responsibility was incorporated in the Association's very first Constitution and By-Laws; it is reflected in ALPA's motto: "Schedule with Safety." No pilot can dodge this responsibility. As long as he flies he retains to himself an obligation for the safety of his passengers and general public which cannot be delegated to anyone-employers, federal aviation agencies, or any other person or agency. Because of this, the air line pilots have no alternative but to maintain an independent organization dedicated to the improvement of air safety. ALPA's organization for safety is built upon three premises: One of the primary safety functions of the air line pilot is the discovery and reporting of air safety problems. The reasons behind accidents can prevent future accidents. The application of the operational viewpoint is necessary to the solution of air safety problems. [[image - photograph]] [[caption]] ALPA approach lights are studied at Arcata, Calif. [[/caption]] Safety and ALPA's Structure... Safetywise, ALPA's channels run from the individual pilot to the national organization on a route paralleling the Association's organizational framework. Local Air Safety Committees... Each Council-the basic unit of ALPA-has a Local Council Air Safety Committee which processes local air safety problems. This may include contacts with the local air line, government, civic, or airport officials. Surveys conducted by ALPA are processed through this Committee. Central Air Safety Committees... The pilots of one air line may have 10, 12 or more Councils. Representatives from each council comprise the Air Line Central Air Safety Committee. Problems common to more than one Council or concerning the entire air line are processed through this Committee. Regional Safety Committees... Representatives from the Council Air Safety Committees in a particular region comprise the Regional Air Safety Committee. For example, representatives from 15 Air Safety Committees make up the New York Area Regional Air Safety Committee. This Committee processes problems which are peculiar to a particular geographical area. Example: The noise problem in the New York area. Nat'l Air Safety Organization... The National Organization of ALPA maintains an Engineering and Air Safety Department through which problems from the Council Air Safety Committees, air lines, or regional committees may be processed. The national organization usually serves as the spokesman on national problems or designates a pilot specialist or pilot committee to speak for ALPA. A "draft release" procedure is employed to secure a representative opinion on a subject. Special committees are required to submit their findings for comment to all Council Committees. It is in this manner that representative pilot opinion is determined. As is the common denominator of all other ALPA operations, this opinion represents individual opinion insofar as it is compatible with majority opinion. It is comparatively easy to see that exclusively individual (or minority) opinion that runs contrary to majority opinion, could not be advanced or construed as the opinion of the pilots as a whole. Thus it follows, over-all ALPA opinion cannot be obtained by talking to one pilot, or two pilots, or three pilots, but only by accumulating the opinion of all the pilots of any one group through their representatives as outlined above. Again, this is the democratic precept -32-
