Air Line Pilot, August 2000, page 27
By Capt. Seth Cooperman (American Trans Air)

Early in 1999, the pilots and professional flight engineers of American Trans Air, better known as ATA, decided together that they needed the best possible representation and chose the Air Line Pilots Association by a margin of 82 percent in a precedent-setting write-in vote.

During the past year, a majority of union efforts have been directed toward contract negotiations; the current contract is amendable in September of this year. ATA and its crewmembers are among the first airlines to use interest-based bargaining in the negotiation process. The group is encouraged that, working with ATA management, we can cordially and in a timely fashion reach a contract that allows ATA to accomplish its expansion plans by continuing to attract the highest quality crewmembers.

Over the years, and particularly in the post-deregulation environment, ALPA members have had the benefit--and occasionally the misfortune--of experiencing situations unique to our industry. Such experience is common among pilots who fly for ATA.

ALPA members at ATA face situations, places, and challenges that are almost unknown at other airlines. Founded in 1973 by J. George Mikelsons with a single Boeing 720, ATA made a name for itself as a charter airline, eventually becoming the largest Department of Defense vendor for carrying personnel. Now the largest operator of civilian and military passenger charters in the United States, ATA broke into scheduled service gradually over the past decade, establishing a hub at Chicago's Midway Airport. ATA is now the 11th largest U.S. passenger airline, with scheduled service accounting for almost 60 percent of ATA's total revenue.

These features--taken at face value --may seem trivial, but they are substantial factors that affect the lives and working conditions of ATA cockpit crewmembers. With worldwide operating authority, and 180-minute ETOPS approval for our Boeing 757s (ATA was the first carrier to obtain such approval for the B-757), our crewmembers have flown just about any place that has concrete long enough to land a jet.

ATA had the first commercial jet on the ground at Mogadishu, Somalia, during the U.S. military effort there, carried the most troops during the Gulf War, evacuated distressed Kosovars from Yugoslavia, and continues to provide regular worldwide service for the Air Mobility Command.

Frequently finding ourselves in class "G" airspace and using ICAO "broadcast in the blind" procedures, our pilots and professional flight engineers routinely and safely navigate to such unusual destinations as Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, Lajes in the Azores, and Soto Cano airbase in Honduras. And those are just some of the military destinations. Commercial charters can take us similarly afield, but without the dubious benefit of military-base housing.

A typical month for a B-757 pilot might include a turn between Midway and La Guardia on one day, positioning to Italy on another carrier the next day, getting crew rest, operating into the Middle East or the Indian Ocean, and eventually positioning stateside. Trip rotations of up to 11 days are not uncommon. A month could also consist entirely of domestic flying, with layovers at destinations such as Indianapolis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., etc., or entirely of international flying into Asia and the Pacific or South America. ATA's B-727s have also been around the world, in addition to flying a regular schedule from Chicago's Midway Airport.

ATA's hub at Midway, with its runways that have no overruns (concrete obstacles at each end) and a maximum of 6,500 usable feet might be considered short for some commuter aircraft. For a B-727 laden with 173 passengers and their luggage, 3,000 pounds of cargo, and enough fuel for a distant alternate, Midway can be a tight squeeze. This is routine for ATA's crewmembers. Add snow and wind to the mix, perhaps a tight circling maneuver onto Runway 22L, and rush-hour traffic spacing, and the flying can be "sporty," if not outright difficult.

Fortunately, ATA has an outstanding safety record, due in large part to the professionalism, skill, and experience of its pilots--ALPA members since January 1999. Many pilots came to ATA from other ALPA carriers--within our ranks are former Eastern, Pan American, Braniff, and Midway pilots, along with former career military personnel, former regional airline pilots, and former corporate and freight pilots and flight engineers.

The culture of ATA's Flight Operations Department is highly diverse, and that diversity has brought unparalleled benefit to the company and employees. The collective backgrounds of these professionals are a key component to the safety and profitability of the operation. These people solve any problems that arise, from catering snafus to inadequate ATC in strange locales, from military bases that require a flight crewmember to fuel an airplane to flying missions into war zones, from dealing with combative passengers on domestic flights to repairing a recalcitrant L-1011 in the jungle (all of ATA's professional flight engineers are also certified airframe and powerplant mechanics). Dedication is a given at ATA; profitability has been the result.

ATA now operates a fleet of 56 aircraft, including 24 B-727s, 13 B-757s, and 18 L-1011s. The first ATA B-737-800s will enter service in June 2001 as a replacement for the carrier's less-fuel-efficient B-727-200s. ATA is also the North American launch customer for the B-757-300, with deliveries starting in June 2001.

The next time you see a colorful ATA airplane at a major airport, or perhaps from the inside as a passenger during a military rotation overseas, take a few moments to think about the proud history of the company and its ALPA crewmembers--a rare airline success story that is unequaled in the industry.