American Mum, Daughter Make History after Piloting Same Flight Together: "It's Been a Dream"
- Holly and Keely flew together on Flight 3658 from Denver to St Louis on July 23, 2022, and it seemed like a magical moment for the both of them
- Holly became a flight attendant right out of college but realised that she wanted to be a pilot and took her flight lessons when Kelly was just over two years
- Kelly, too, loved the idea of becoming a pilot when she was 14 and followed her mother, and after earning her pilot's license, she got an internship with Southwest Airlines in 2017
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A mother and daughter have made history after they teamed up to fly a Southwest flight in the United States of America (USA) earlier late last month.
Source: Facebook
Mother becomes pilot after college
Captain Holly Petitt and First Officer Keely Petitt became the first mother-daughter pilot duo in company history when they flew from Denver to St. Louis on July 23.
A press release from the airline indicated Holly began her aviation career as a flight attendant right after college. Still, after one fateful flight, she realised she wanted to become a pilot.
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"It has been a dream come true. First, I found this career and fell in love with it, and then that one of my kids fell into this and in love with this career too. It's surreal," said Holly.
As she took flight lessons, Holly welcomed three beautiful kids while supporting her family as a full-time mom.
With her husband and mom's support, she could make her dream of being a pilot a reality.
"It was the most amazing interview of my life," Holly said of becoming a Southwest pilot in a company blog post.
"Eighteen years later and I'm still giddy to do my job," she added.
Daughter follows in mother's footsteps
Keely, who followed in her mother's footsteps, fell in love with flying when she was just 14 years old.
She eventually earned her pilot's license and scored an internship with Southwest Airlines in 2017 to further her aviation career.
"Southwest was always the end goal for me. There was really never any other option," she said.
Not only are Holly and Keely making Southwest history, but they are also breaking barriers and empowering women of all ages to pursue their dreams in aviation.
Reflecting on the big day, Holly shared that the morning of July 23 was very emotional.
"One moment you are holding this tiny little premature baby in your arms and in a blink of an eye she is sitting next to you on the flight deck of a Boeing 737 jet!" the proud mom wrote in a Facebook post.
"I love you to the moon and back, Keely Petitt!"
The duo is not sure when they will fly together again, but they are looking forward to it. They are also trying to match their schedules accordingly.
Kenyan twins pilot flight together
In a related story, YEN.com.gh reported that Kenyan identical twin brothers Alex and Alan are flying the Kenyan flag high in the United States, warming the hearts of many back at home.
Alex and Alan became pilots at Alaska Airlines in the US and are believed to be the first set of identical twin pilots at the airline.
The airlines said Alan was hired shortly after finishing his simulator training and will be based in San Francisco, while his brother Alex will be flying out of Los Angeles.
The brothers moved from Kenya to California when they were 13 and brought their love of aeroplanes with them.
The brothers have their parents to thank for their love of aviation. Ever since they were three years old, they would go plane spotting with their dad every Sunday after church.
Their mom also brought them along on every business trip where they were bored with everything except the flights.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
