When the American Federation of Labor tried to persuade airplane pilots to unionize a few years ago it was given a chilly reception. Flyers were public idols. Like sea captains, they recoiled from the thought of brotherhood with locomotive engineers. Also, they were paid as much as $10,000 or $15,000 a year because of the risk. Organizations like the National Air Pilots' Association and Professional Pilots' Association (with codes of ethics, death benefits, etc.) thrived; but unionization was disdained.
With the gravitation of transport flying from adventure to business, pilots' pay came...
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