*Last week, Alaska Airlines announced its recruitment of a new pilot who has an identical twin. At that time, the airline was unaware of who the other twin was.
Once the truth came out, the airline was stunned: the other twin is their employee too! The airline had unknowingly employed identical twins and both as Alaska Airlines First Officers.
The twin brothers, Alex and Alan, had always had their dreams set on aviation, reports BlackEnterprise. When they were young (three years old then), their father would take them plane-spotting on Sundays after church. Their mother also went with them on her business trips. The family relocated from Kenya to California when the boys were 13 years old. It was after that they developed their love for airplanes.
Alaska Airlines believes that Alex and Alan are the first identical twin pilots it has hired in its almost century-old history. For the twins, it is all about living their childhood dreams and experiences. They continue to thank their parents for helping them nurture their love for airplanes.
OTHER NEWS ON EURWEB: Driver Arrested in Deadly LA Crash – Six Killed Including Pregnant Woman and Toddler | WATCH-it-Happen
For instance, their mother supported their passions by gifting them a Microsoft Flight Simulator. In a statement to Alaska Airlines, Alan said he knew he wanted to fly airplanes the moment he started to play with the simulator.
Alan has just completed simulator training and will now be based in San Francisco. Alex, on the other hand, will leave Alaska, his original base, for Los Angeles. And why did Alan choose Alaska? He says it has to do with its people and culture. He didn’t even have to think hard to select it, he said.
“When I was working as a fueler, Alaska employees — whether it was pilots or people working across the operation — were always the nicest people who reached out to encourage me,” he explained.
Alex shares the same sentiments.
“Alaska is like a family — you’re not a number,” he says
So far, the twins have never accompanied one another in the same cabin as professional pilots, but it is perhaps a matter of time.
“We’ve never flown together professionally because we’ve always been on different aircraft,” stated first officer Alex. “The goal is to have one of us upgrade to captain and be operating the same aircraft so we can fly together.”
The twins also hope they will one day invite their mother on board.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
