Fwd: ALPA's ban of aeronautical terminology
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Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga
Jul 21, 2024, 2:21:58 PM7/21/24
to FalconRV-List, Wings On Wheels
In case you're interested, below is my response to ALPA's recent ban of the word "cockpit."
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga <trapp...@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jul 21, 2024 at 2:17 PM
Subject: ALPA's ban of aeronautical terminology
To: <Jason....@alpa.org>
Cc: <wendy...@alpa.org>, <sean....@alpa.org>, <wes.c...@alpa.org>, <steve...@alpa.org>
From: Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga <trapp...@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jul 21, 2024 at 2:17 PM
Subject: ALPA's ban of aeronautical terminology
To: <Jason....@alpa.org>
Cc: <wendy...@alpa.org>, <sean....@alpa.org>, <wes.c...@alpa.org>, <steve...@alpa.org>
Dear Jason,
The pedestal image above further illustrates how the term "Flight Deck" can generate conflict in pilot vernacular. Noting that the Pushback Checklist was changed to read "Flight deck door....closed and locked," the check is confirmed by referencing a panel labelled "COCKPIT DOOR." This violates consistency and standardization which can lead to confusion in the cockpit. Not so easy to change all the placarding as a solution, so I'd suggest calling it what it is on the checklist instead something it is not. The next checklist change would be an easy fix in which to do this.
After 35yrs, 2mos flying for the "Big D," I retired in 2022. You've always had my vote, and I've always appreciated the work you've done in the past for the Delta pilot group. I'm pleased to see that you've now reached that well-deserved spot at the top. Remembering your open mindedness, I'm compelled to reason with you on a recent ALPA stance that is fully misplaced.
First, ALPA's mission has always been focused on 1) safety and 2) providing the best contracts possible for its pilot members. Its current credo of "Advancing Aviation Safety and Security since 1931" is a testament to this commitment. Unfortunately, social pressures (i.e., "wokism") is distracting from this core mission. ALPA's latest position in mandating the elimination of the word "cockpit" from pilot vernacular is a prime example of this. Kindly allow me to expound as to why this action is based upon a complete falsehood, making it a waste of ALPA's time and airline resources:
First, the term "Cockpit" has been misinterpreted as being gender specific when in fact it is not, and doing so wrongly assumes that it symbolizes male dominance in, well, "the cockpit." As you may be aware, "cockpit" is actually a non-gender specific term that goes back to British naval lore, as do so many aspects of aviation. According to Merriam Webster, the crew member in charge of a ship, and who steered/navigated it, was known as the "coxswain" (pronounced "cock-sun"). Today, this term continues to be used to represent this person in competitive rowing events and has nothing to do with gender or anatomy, i.e., a woman can be a coxswain and will be described as such. In battle, this position on the ship was highly critical so they designed vessels with a "pit" in which to place the coxswain such that he'd be protected from enemy fire. Thus, the word "cock-pit" was born to describe this part of the ship. This term was adopted by aviation at its birth and has been used for many decades until this misguided campaign to replace it with "flight deck."
The term "flight deck" is defined as the deck on an aircraft carrier upon which flight operations are conducted. It has absolutely nothing to do with the cockpit of an airplane. Imagine the confusion that would ensue during carrier operations if they used this term for both the actual flight deck and fighter cockpits. Moreover, a carrier is neither steered nor commanded from the flight deck. Thus, this term is being used to placate misguided and easily offended political zealots by calling the cockpit something that it is not.
Aircraft manufacturers fully accept and recognize that the pilot compartment is to be called a "Cockpit," as evidenced by placards that reflect controls and/or indicators associated with this part of the airplane. Note also that the words "Flight Deck" are not placarded anywhere because a flight deck does not actually exist on an airplane. To illustrate this point, I have a full set of cockpit prints for the A320 (see 2 of the panels below) that use the word "COCKPIT" where appropriate. The words "FLIGHT DECK" are not found on any panels:
Educating your members of the truth could serve to diffuse those so ignorantly offended by a term that they have wrongly condemned as sexist. For those who might remain offended after understanding the facts, their minds are made up to perpetuate a misconception for a purpose that doesn't make sense. And for that, neither ALPA nor the industry need expend effort and/or capital to mollify them.
As an adjunct, I have 3 daughters and I want them to have every opportunity. I also know that none of them would be so foolishly offended by the word "cockpit." In fact, my youngest is a pilot who correctly refers to it as such and is not offended by the term in the least. I'd say that the majority of savvy female pilots would feel the same.
In conclusion, I read that the premise behind ALPA's decision to support this mandate is to foster "inclusivity." But with the facts presented herein, the term "cockpit" has no basis in exclusivity, making the argument moot. Bearing all of this in mind, I hope you can see where ALPA's stance for banning the term is unworthy and devoid of common sense.
As a matter of integrity and as the leader of ALPA, I'd encourage you to stand on the truth and reverse the impropriety of this ALPA mandate. Continuing to support it has ALPA capitulating to a woke political machine that cares little about truth and more about control. Regardless of your decision, I'd recommend that ALPA stick more to their professed mission of optimizing safety and contracts, which are far more important issues in today's commercial aviation.
Respectfully yours,
brian metzger
Jul 21, 2024, 2:57:27 PM7/21/24
to Ralph Trapper Trapaga, FalconRV-List, Wings On Wheels
Trapper, no better words could’ve been said. Thanks for writing that and thanks for sharing.
Brian “Meat” Metzger
On Jul 21, 2024, at 13:22, Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga <trapp...@gmail.com> wrote:
In case you're interested, below is my response to ALPA's recent ban of the word "cockpit."
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga <trapp...@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jul 21, 2024 at 2:17 PM
Subject: ALPA's ban of aeronautical terminology
To: <Jason....@alpa.org>
Cc: <wendy...@alpa.org>, <sean....@alpa.org>, <wes.c...@alpa.org>, <steve...@alpa.org>
Dear Jason,After 35yrs, 2mos flying for the "Big D," I retired in 2022. You've always had my vote, and I've always appreciated the work you've done in the past for the Delta pilot group. I'm pleased to see that you've now reached that well-deserved spot at the top. Remembering your open mindedness, I'm compelled to reason with you on a recent ALPA stance that is fully misplaced.First, ALPA's mission has always been focused on 1) safety and 2) providing the best contracts possible for its pilot members. Its current credo of "Advancing Aviation Safety and Security since 1931" is a testament to this commitment. Unfortunately, social pressures (i.e., "wokism") is distracting from this core mission. ALPA's latest position in mandating the elimination of the word "cockpit" from pilot vernacular is a prime example of this. Kindly allow me to expound as to why this action is based upon a complete falsehood, making it a waste of ALPA's time and airline resources:First, the term "Cockpit" has been misinterpreted as being gender specific when in fact it is not, and doing so wrongly assumes that it symbolizes male dominance in, well, "the cockpit." As you may be aware, "cockpit" is actually a non-gender specific term that goes back to British naval lore, as do so many aspects of aviation. According to Merriam Webster, the crew member in charge of a ship, and who steered/navigated it, was known as the "coxswain" (pronounced "cock-sun"). Today, this term continues to be used to represent this person in competitive rowing events and has nothing to do with gender or anatomy, i.e., a woman can be a coxswain and will be described as such. In battle, this position on the ship was highly critical so they designed vessels with a "pit" in which to place the coxswain such that he'd be protected from enemy fire. Thus, the word "cock-pit" was born to describe this part of the ship. This term was adopted by aviation at its birth and has been used for many decades until this misguided campaign to replace it with "flight deck."The term "flight deck" is defined as the deck on an aircraft carrier upon which flight operations are conducted. It has absolutely nothing to do with the cockpit of an airplane. Imagine the confusion that would ensue during carrier operations if they used this term for both the actual flight deck and fighter cockpits. Moreover, a carrier is neither steered nor commanded from the flight deck. Thus, this term is being used to placate misguided and easily offended political zealots by calling the cockpit something that it is not.Aircraft manufacturers fully accept and recognize that the pilot compartment is to be called a "Cockpit," as evidenced by placards that reflect controls and/or indicators associated with this part of the airplane. Note also that the words "Flight Deck" are not placarded anywhere because a flight deck does not actually exist on an airplane. To illustrate this point, I have a full set of cockpit prints for the A320 (see 2 of the panels below) that use the word "COCKPIT" where appropriate. The words "FLIGHT DECK" are not found on any panels:
<image_50398977.JPG>
The pedestal image above further illustrates how the term "Flight Deck" can generate conflict in pilot vernacular. Noting that the Pushback Checklist was changed to read "Flight deck door....closed and locked," the check is confirmed by referencing a panel labelled "COCKPIT DOOR." This violates consistency and standardization which can lead to confusion in the cockpit. Not so easy to change all the placarding as a solution, so I'd suggest calling it what it is on the checklist instead something it is not. The next checklist change would be an easy fix in which to do this.<image_50412545.JPG>Educating your members of the truth could serve to diffuse those so ignorantly offended by a term that they have wrongly condemned as sexist. For those who might remain offended after understanding the facts, their minds are made up to perpetuate a misconception for a purpose that doesn't make sense. And for that, neither ALPA nor the industry need expend effort and/or capital to mollify them.As an adjunct, I have 3 daughters and I want them to have every opportunity. I also know that none of them would be so foolishly offended by the word "cockpit." In fact, my youngest is a pilot who correctly refers to it as such and is not offended by the term in the least. I'd say that the majority of savvy female pilots would feel the same.In conclusion, I read that the premise behind ALPA's decision to support this mandate is to foster "inclusivity." But with the facts presented herein, the term "cockpit" has no basis in exclusivity, making the argument moot. Bearing all of this in mind, I hope you can see where ALPA's stance for banning the term is unworthy and devoid of common sense.As a matter of integrity and as the leader of ALPA, I'd encourage you to stand on the truth and reverse the impropriety of this ALPA mandate. Continuing to support it has ALPA capitulating to a woke political machine that cares little about truth and more about control. Regardless of your decision, I'd recommend that ALPA stick more to their professed mission of optimizing safety and contracts, which are far more important issues in today's commercial aviation.Respectfully yours,
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David Hays
Jul 21, 2024, 7:50:54 PM7/21/24
to brian metzger, Ralph Trapper Trapaga, FalconRV-List, Wings On Wheels
Great letter Trap….
David T. Hays, RPh
Hays Properties, LLC
76 Clark St
Senoia, GA 30276-1934
Sent from my iPhoneOn Jul 21, 2024, at 1:57 PM, brian metzger <metzg...@gmail.com> wrote:
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Eric Dixon
Jul 21, 2024, 8:47:10 PM7/21/24
to Ralph Trapper Trapaga, FalconRV-List, Wings On Wheels
Well said Trapper.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Eric “Preacher” Dixon
In case you're interested, below is my response to ALPA's recent ban of the word "cockpit."
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga <trapp...@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jul 21, 2024 at 2:17 PM
Subject: ALPA's ban of aeronautical terminology
To: <Jason....@alpa.org>
Cc: <wendy...@alpa.org>, <sean....@alpa.org>, <wes.c...@alpa.org>, <steve...@alpa.org>
Dear Jason,After 35yrs, 2mos flying for the "Big D," I retired in 2022. You've always had my vote, and I've always appreciated the work you've done in the past for the Delta pilot group. I'm pleased to see that you've now reached that well-deserved spot at the top. Remembering your open mindedness, I'm compelled to reason with you on a recent ALPA stance that is fully misplaced.First, ALPA's mission has always been focused on 1) safety and 2) providing the best contracts possible for its pilot members. Its current credo of "Advancing Aviation Safety and Security since 1931" is a testament to this commitment. Unfortunately, social pressures (i.e., "wokism") is distracting from this core mission. ALPA's latest position in mandating the elimination of the word "cockpit" from pilot vernacular is a prime example of this. Kindly allow me to expound as to why this action is based upon a complete falsehood, making it a waste of ALPA's time and airline resources:First, the term "Cockpit" has been misinterpreted as being gender specific when in fact it is not, and doing so wrongly assumes that it symbolizes male dominance in, well, "the cockpit." As you may be aware, "cockpit" is actually a non-gender specific term that goes back to British naval lore, as do so many aspects of aviation. According to Merriam Webster, the crew member in charge of a ship, and who steered/navigated it, was known as the "coxswain" (pronounced "cock-sun"). Today, this term continues to be used to represent this person in competitive rowing events and has nothing to do with gender or anatomy, i.e., a woman can be a coxswain and will be described as such. In battle, this position on the ship was highly critical so they designed vessels with a "pit" in which to place the coxswain such that he'd be protected from enemy fire. Thus, the word "cock-pit" was born to describe this part of the ship. This term was adopted by aviation at its birth and has been used for many decades until this misguided campaign to replace it with "flight deck."The term "flight deck" is defined as the deck on an aircraft carrier upon which flight operations are conducted. It has absolutely nothing to do with the cockpit of an airplane. Imagine the confusion that would ensue during carrier operations if they used this term for both the actual flight deck and fighter cockpits. Moreover, a carrier is neither steered nor commanded from the flight deck. Thus, this term is being used to placate misguided and easily offended political zealots by calling the cockpit something that it is not.Aircraft manufacturers fully accept and recognize that the pilot compartment is to be called a "Cockpit," as evidenced by placards that reflect controls and/or indicators associated with this part of the airplane. Note also that the words "Flight Deck" are not placarded anywhere because a flight deck does not actually exist on an airplane. To illustrate this point, I have a full set of cockpit prints for the A320 (see 2 of the panels below) that use the word "COCKPIT" where appropriate. The words "FLIGHT DECK" are not found on any panels:
<image_50398977.JPG>
The pedestal image above further illustrates how the term "Flight Deck" can generate conflict in pilot vernacular. Noting that the Pushback Checklist was changed to read "Flight deck door....closed and locked," the check is confirmed by referencing a panel labelled "COCKPIT DOOR." This violates consistency and standardization which can lead to confusion in the cockpit. Not so easy to change all the placarding as a solution, so I'd suggest calling it what it is on the checklist instead something it is not. The next checklist change would be an easy fix in which to do this.<image_50412545.JPG>Educating your members of the truth could serve to diffuse those so ignorantly offended by a term that they have wrongly condemned as sexist. For those who might remain offended after understanding the facts, their minds are made up to perpetuate a misconception for a purpose that doesn't make sense. And for that, neither ALPA nor the industry need expend effort and/or capital to mollify them.As an adjunct, I have 3 daughters and I want them to have every opportunity. I also know that none of them would be so foolishly offended by the word "cockpit." In fact, my youngest is a pilot who correctly refers to it as such and is not offended by the term in the least. I'd say that the majority of savvy female pilots would feel the same.In conclusion, I read that the premise behind ALPA's decision to support this mandate is to foster "inclusivity." But with the facts presented herein, the term "cockpit" has no basis in exclusivity, making the argument moot. Bearing all of this in mind, I hope you can see where ALPA's stance for banning the term is unworthy and devoid of common sense.As a matter of integrity and as the leader of ALPA, I'd encourage you to stand on the truth and reverse the impropriety of this ALPA mandate. Continuing to support it has ALPA capitulating to a woke political machine that cares little about truth and more about control. Regardless of your decision, I'd recommend that ALPA stick more to their professed mission of optimizing safety and contracts, which are far more important issues in today's commercial aviation.Respectfully yours,
Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga
Jul 21, 2024, 10:03:16 PM7/21/24
to brian metzger, FalconRV-List, Wings On Wheels
Thanks Meat. Great to have you on board in the FRVS!
Dean M.
Jul 21, 2024, 10:51:04 PM7/21/24
to Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga, brian metzger, FalconRV-List, Wings On Wheels
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRoMN1VQ/
There you have it.
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Capitalist Pig AKA Bill
Jul 22, 2024, 9:05:02 AM7/22/24
to Dean M., FalconRV-List, Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga, Wings On Wheels, brian metzger
I read a lot of nautical fiction. The cockpit on a ship was the cabin below the wardroom at the stern of the ship where the midshipmen lived.
I think the term originally came from a pit where to gamecocks would fight each other, while -men gambled on the outcome.
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Donald Roberts
Jul 22, 2024, 9:31:34 AM7/22/24
to Capitalist Pig AKA Bill, Dean M., FalconRV-List, Ralph Trapper Trapaga, Wings On Wheels, brian metzger
I am a South Carolina Gamecock. The girls sports teams are called the Lady Cocks. At games the cheer is “Go Cocks”. I don’t know of any effort to squelch that
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Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga
Jul 22, 2024, 9:36:28 AM7/22/24
to Capitalist Pig AKA Bill, Dean M., FalconRV-List, Wings On Wheels, brian metzger
Partially true: the wardroom has been used as a secondary definition but the primary, most common definition is "where the ship is steered or piloted." There's no affiliation between male roosters and coxswains, but I can see where the nautical term may have been adopted at some point for this activity and its arena.
Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga
Jul 22, 2024, 9:37:52 AM7/22/24
to Donald Roberts, Capitalist Pig AKA Bill, Dean M., FalconRV-List, Wings On Wheels, brian metzger
Good to know that common sense still prevails in South Carolina, Don!
Joseph Subits
Jul 22, 2024, 9:42:10 AM7/22/24
to Donald Roberts, Capitalist Pig AKA Bill, Dean M., FalconRV-List, Ralph Trapper Trapaga, Wings On Wheels, brian metzger
In jest only, if the Australian or British Airline Pilots Asociations adopt the same policy, you may hear a lot of in flight announcements from the “Flot Dick” 😁
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Bob Walden
Jul 22, 2024, 11:02:02 PM7/22/24
to Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga, FalconRV-List, Wings On Wheels, brian metzger
Trapper,
Glad to see you’re joining us here at Oshkosh this weekend. Be sure to read the 2024 Notice To Air Men/People/Persons/Missions before you arrive. We don’t want to see you violated. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
😀
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Ralph "Trapper" Trapaga
Jul 22, 2024, 11:05:08 PM7/22/24
to Bob Walden, FalconRV-List, Wings On Wheels, brian metzger
It's OK: I knows people, but thanks for the warning. 😄 BTW, I changed my arrival to Wednesday before the field closes. Gotta make that beer call!
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