Hello! My name is Stephen. I am an airline pilot and have been flying for 10 years overall. Every time I go to work, I trust Air Traffic Controllers, many of whom I know or have met personally, to keep me and my passengers safe. With the government shutdown occurring at midnight Eastern Time October 1st, Air Traffic Controllers are not receiving a paycheck. Once the government re-opens, the will receive back-pay but until that time, I will be raising funds to buy gas cards, gift cards and meals for my controllers. These aviation professionals are truly incredible people that do an amazing job keeping air traffic safe! Seeing them in action is really impressive! If you'd like to donate to the cause, this is where you can help! Thank you! The picture is from 2018 when they had another shutdown.