Air Line Pilots Association Joins Know Before You Fly Program

Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) is the newest supporter of the Know Before You Fly campaign, an initiative to promote the safe and responsible use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

“Over the course of ALPA’s history, we have been a part of nearly every significant safety improvement in the airline industry, and have helped to make airline travel the safest mode of transportation in human history,” said Captain Tim Canoll, president of ALPA. “As a strong supporter of this UAS safety campaign, we will continue to promote and champion all aspects of aviation safety.”

The Know Before You Fly campaign was created by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA). The campaign was launched in December 2014 in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide UAS users with the information and guidance they need to fly safely and responsibly.

“ALPA’s support is significant and demonstrates how the airline pilot and unmanned aviation communities can work together to make the airspace safer for all users,” said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI. “AUVSI’s members and ALPA’s members share a common commitment to the principles of airmanship that help foster a culture of safety.”

AMA President Bob Brown added, “The ties between model aviation and commercial aviation run deep. Model aviation has been a stepping stone to successful aviation careers. Many airline pilots report being influenced by model aviation early in life. Today, safety is a core principle shared within the aviation community.”

ALPA joins 23 other organizations that support Know Before You Fly, which include retailers, manufacturers, and distributors of UAS as well as several organizations representing the manned aviation community. For information, visit KnowBeforeYouFly.org or follow @FlyResponsibly on Twitter.