Air Line Pilot Podcast

How do we protect commercial aircraft from the threat of unmanned aerial systems? ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi talks with Col. Bill Edwards, director of counter-unmanned aerial systems operations at ENSCO, about the rapidly growing drone threat to commercial aviation and what it will take to counter it. Edwards discusses the evolution of small UAS driven by global conflicts, the scale of drone detections near U.S. airports, a...

Joined by leaders from several ALPA pilot groups and ALPA Canada, ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi discusses key developments within the union. Guests include Capt. Larry Payne (Hawaiian Airlines) and Capt. Will McQuillen (Alaska Airlines), both chairs of their respective MECs, who provide updates on their ongoing merger. Capt. Brian Smith (Porter Airlines) shares insights from the recent organizing effort at Porter, and Capt. Br...

Each year brings new opportunities and challenges for our union, and 2025 was a powerful reminder of just how unpredictable a single year can be. This year, ALPA mourned loss, confronted economic instability at several airlines, and felt the harsh impact of political turmoil, including the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. To close out 2025, ALPA President Capt. Jason Ambrosi had an in-depth discussion with ALPA general ...

Capt. Ronan O'Donoghue, chair of ALPA's Strategic Preparedness and Strike Committee, joined ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi to discuss the transformation of ALPA's culture. Collaboration, strategic and communication planning, and solidarity among pilot groups all play critical roles in ALPA’s recent successes. Informational pickets and the introduction of new initiatives like the fact team and virtual components are just a few e...

As 2025 unfolded, the airline industry's initial optimism was met with unexpected challenges. ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi sat down with Aviation Economist Patrick Cropper from ALPA’s Economic and Financial Analysis Department to discuss the factors that were fueling early confidence and the hurdles airlines now face. From high profits at Delta and United to the struggles of ultra-low-cost carriers like Spirit, this episode e...

In aviation, we learn from the past to build a safer future. One of the most effective ways we do that is through accident investigation—identifying contributing factors to reform processes, designs, and policies to prevent similar accidents from happening again.     ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi interviews Transportation Safety Board of Canada Chair Yoan Marier about how the board investigates accidents and incidents and deve...

For many ALPA members, flying is more than a career—it is a passion. And that passion is on full display at EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh every year. At the 2024 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the Air Line Pilot Podcast caught up with ALPA members who arrived in classic warbirds or other vintage aircraft, or who flew as part of the daily airshow. William “Skip” Stewart (FedEx Express) gave aerobatic performances in...

Air Traffic Controllers are critical to safe airline operations, but they have faced a chronic lack of support and infrastructure funding. ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi sits down with Nick Daniels, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).

In their conversation about the challenges that controllers face on the job, Daniels discusses how NATCA continues to fight and advocate for their members as...

Nearly two decades after a significant number of ALPA pilots were furloughed, many ALPA members still remember what it feels like. ALPA’s Furloughed Pilot Support Program (FPSP) is built on the first-hand experience of members, like ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi and FPSP volunteer F/O Quincy Flemming. Listen now to hear their furlough stories and suggestions for pilots facing career uncertainty today. They also discuss the Ass...

Effectively managing conflict and knowing what works in a negotiation are essential skills for life, but especially for union work. Naseem Khuri, a trainer, consultant, mediator, and facilitator who specializes in negotiation, influence, and conflict management, sat down with ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi to talk about how his best practices can be applied at ALPA. Khuri has worked with Israeli, Palestinian, and other internat...

On the evening of January 27, 2025, ALPA’s Air Safety Organization enacted programs it hopes to never have to use: the Accident Investigation Board (AIB) and Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP). These highly trained ALPA volunteers went to action at a moment’s notice after a midair collision between PSA Flight 5342 and a military helicopter took the lives of all 67 aboard both aircraft. The AIB provides expertise to the Natio...

Flying out of Portland in January, a door plug on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 departed the aircraft, causing a rapid depressurization. In her exclusive first interview following the event with CBS News’s Kris Van Cleave, Superior Airmanship Award Winner, Emily Wiprud shares her experience. Events like Alaska 1282 are reminders of the ways pilots must always be ready to respond to emergencies in the skies and it demonstrates the val...

Industry stakeholders are working to reduce safety by taking pilots off the flight deck, but ALPA, the European Cockpit Association (ECA), and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations (IFALPA) are united to stop them. ALPA President, Jason Ambrosi interviews ECA President Otjan de Bruijn about the risks and hazards associated with single pilot operations, IFALPA Deputy President (and an ALPA member) Ron Hay abou...

Laws passed by Congress continually make and remake safety in American aviation. Through laws —like the FAA reauthorization bill, passed earlier this year—lawmakers have the power to defend or deteriorate safety in the skies. During ALPA's Legislative Summit, Capt. Jason Ambrosi interviewed Rep. Nick Langworthy (NY-23) one of the key Members of Congress fighting to protect aviation safety. In this candid conversation, Rep. Langwort...

Akbar Sultan, Director of NASA's Airspace Operations and Safety Program joins ALPA President, Capt. Jason Ambrosi for a conversation about the latest advances in aviation safety research for a behind-the-scenes look at how researchers and pilots are collaborating to strengthen aviation safety. Their discussion covers Airspace Operations and Safety Program’s work to develop predictive safety systems using flight data to identify ris...

Stepping up to serve our members is our union’s highest calling. During ALPA’s annual Leadership Training Conference the union’s newest leaders gather to learn more about the resources available to them and best practices for their new leadership position. This month, ALPA President, Capt. Ambrosi spoke with Capt. Tiffany O’Connor (FedEx Express), Capt. Steve Savidge (Alaska Airlines), F/O Manuela Valenzuela (WestJet Encore), and F...

With vital work to negotiate contracts, defend safety, and protect the contract gains made last year, ALPA President, Capt. Jason Ambrosi sits down with the national leadership team to plot a path for 2024. In this conversation First Vice President and National Safety Coordinator, Capt. Wendy Morse, the new Vice President-Administration/Secretary, Capt. Sean Creed, Vice President-Finance/Treasurer, Capt. Wes Clapper, and ALPA Canad...