The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), a union representing over 70,000 commercial pilots, has recently come under fire for its Inclusive Language Reference Guide, according to a new report from Breitbart.
Released in 2021 but just now becoming public, the guide instructs pilots to ditch terms like “guys,” “airmen,” “manpower,” and even “cockpit” in favor of more inclusive language.
According to the ALPA, the word “cockpit” has been used by some male pilots to suggest that women don’t belong in the profession.
They argue that switching to “flight deck” would create a more welcoming environment for female and LGBTQ+ pilots.
But here’s the thing: “cockpit” has nothing to do with gender or anatomy. It actually originated in the 1580s as a term for a cock fighting arena, and later evolved to mean “control center.” World War I pilots adopted it in the early 1900s, and it’s been used ever since.
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The union’s guide also takes aim at words like “mother,” “father,” “wife,” “husband,” “girlfriend,” and “boyfriend,” claiming they ignore diverse family structures.
They want pilots to use gender-neutral pronouns like “they/them” and replace words like “manpower” with “people/human power.”
ALPA is not just America.
It's Canada, too. Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) is the largest pilot union in the world, representing more than 77,000 pilots from 43 US and Canadian airlines.ALPA using DEI to wipe out history because wiping out history for a small… https://t.co/2qBnFjZLPb pic.twitter.com/BbsSQpzahn
— Navy⚓Brat (@_NavyBrat) June 19, 2024
While the ALPA defends its guide as a way to “open the doors of opportunity,” critics argue that it’s a ridiculous distraction from what really matters: flight safety.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety team representative Kyle Bailey put it bluntly: “Diversity really has nothing to do with safe travel. It’s basically all a matter of flight time, your credentials, your background, how much flight experience you have and also your training.”
Instead of policing language, the ALPA should focus on ensuring pilots have the skills and training to keep passengers safe.
Wasting time on woke terminology isn’t going to prevent accidents or improve the flying experience.
In an industry where clear communication is essential, introducing politically-driven language changes is a recipe for confusion and distraction.
Pilots need to concentrate on flying the plane, not worrying about whether they’re using the “right” words.
If the ALPA wants to serve its members and the public, it should drop the language policing and get back to the basics.
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Pilots and passengers alike would be better off if the union focused on what really matters: safety, professionalism, and expertise in the “cockpit.”
