Meet the mother-daughter pilots breaking barriers in the sky

If you attain for the skies, who do you carry with you?

For Capt. Holly Petitt, it is her daughter, First Officer Keely Petitt. The Petitts took off on their inaugural flight collectively on July 23 as Southwest Airways’ first mother-daughter pilot group within the airline’s 55-year historical past.

“I simply hold utilizing the phrase ‘surreal.’ You’ve gotten this little child, you are holding her in your arms, and in a blink of an eye fixed, there she is sitting on the flight deck subsequent to you. It has been surreal and a dream come true,” Holly Petitt instructed “Good Morning America.”

Although the 53-year-old pilot has been flying for Southwest for the final 18 years in a profession that is spanned twenty years, she readily admitted she nonetheless obtained nervous making her in-flight announcement on that memorable Saturday.

“I’ll interrupt my usually scheduled briefing right here for some thrilling information. At this time is a extremely big day for me,” the older Petitt stated within the announcement, in footage recorded and shared with “GMA” by Southwest. “I wish to introduce to you your first officer, a model new member of the Southwest group of pilots, and my daughter, Keely Petitt. Keely, come on out right here. So, thanks all for being right here. This can be a very thrilling day for us, and for Southwest Airways, a really big day. We’re the primary mother-daughter duo ever on the flight deck of Southwest Airways. So thanks for being right here.”

“That was actually enjoyable to make that announcement and I used to be nervous for positive,” Holly Petitt recalled to “GMA.” “Nevertheless it was simply such a particular second. Phrases actually cannot do it justice, but it surely was a day filled with pleasure.”

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The Petitts took turns flying that Saturday, with mother Holly flying the primary leg from Denver to St. Louis and Keely serving as co-pilot, earlier than switching roles for his or her second leg from St. Louis to San Jose, California.

“My entire life, I knew I needed to fly with my mother and it was simply, like my mother stated, it was so surreal and so unimaginable,” Keely Petitt stated of her expertise. “As a child, I all the time watched her do her job and be at work, however getting to grasp it and see all of it once more, simply the way in which that she shared our pleasure together with her co-workers and the purchasers, it was simply the proper day. It was unimaginable. I couldn’t be extra grateful.”

The 25-year-old adopted in her mom’s footsteps and has been a pilot for the final seven years. She joined Southwest this previous Could, returning to the airline after interning with the corporate whereas in school.

Each Petitts stated flying for Southwest has been a dream come true.

“The folks at Southwest, it makes the job much more particular — from our flight attendants to our ops brokers to our ramp brokers,” Holly Petitt stated. “You’re feeling such as you’re with your loved ones, even while you’re away from residence so we’re actually blessed in that sense.”

Holly Petitt obtained her begin in aviation as a flight attendant however one pivotal flight opened her eyes to her ardour for flying.

“I obtained to sit down in on the flight deck for a ferry flight and I simply had an aha second,” Holly Petitt recalled. “I used to be like, ‘That is it. That is what I need to do.’ So I went out and began chickening out classes.”

The mother of three credit her husband, mom and aunt for his or her unshakeable assist whereas she pursued her dream, first whereas coaching after which whereas constructing and establishing her profession from regional, commuter airways to a significant airline like Southwest.

“My husband would assist me and he’d be like, ‘You bought this. We have come too far to show again now. … Let’s do that.’ In order that was simply excellent assist at instances I wanted it probably the most and the children have been little in the course of the commuter years,” Holly Petitt stated.

In spite of everything these years of taking to the skies, Holly Petitt stated she nonetheless loves flying and it by no means will get previous.

“The precise act of flying is improbable. I have been doing it for 18 years at Southwest Airways and I nonetheless get goosebumps. I nonetheless get giddy,” she stated. “That is the good job ever and it is by no means the identical day twice at our workplace. Daily is exclusive and it is a improbable job. Flying itself is unimaginable. Being 40,000 ft, from seeing trillions of stars at evening and the complete moons and all of the sunsets and the sunrises, it is simply an unimaginable view from the flight deck.”

Keely Petitt stated she fell in love with flying after she took an introductory flight, also called a discovery flight, when she was 14.

“I simply do not forget that first takeoff, like watching the bottom get smaller and the sky get larger, and it was simply so unimaginable,” she recalled. “I used to be like, ‘I do not care what it takes. I do not care what I’ve to do to make this occur. That is what I need to do for the remainder of my life.’”

Her favourite a part of flying?

“I like touchdown. It is simply so superb and a lot enjoyable,” she stated. “Watching crews work together and attending to take folks safely from level A to level B is simply an unimaginable expertise and I simply really feel very lucky that I get to do it.”

As two feminine pilots in a male-dominated trade, the Petitts additionally know they’re setting an instance for younger women and youths, in the identical manner the elder Petitt was a task mannequin for her daughter.

“On my final flight yesterday, I had a girl strolling by to go take her seat and he or she was like, ‘Sure, lady energy!’ so it has been actually enjoyable and actually cool to only get to work together with folks in that manner,” Keely Petitt stated.

Holly Petitt added, “I feel the massive purpose there’s no more feminine pilots is due to publicity. In case you’re not uncovered to the trade, you simply do not know it is an possibility and it isn’t male versus feminine. … It has been actually enjoyable for me to have the ability to present that publicity for little women. They only come up all excited. They sit within the flight deck with you, they get to push some buttons and get all excited.”

The Petitts stated their message for younger, aspiring pilots is to succeed in for the skies.

“In case you discover aviation is your ardour, go for it. It is doable it doesn’t matter what your circumstances. Simply put one foot in entrance of the opposite and hold working in the direction of your objective, even with little youngsters in tow,” Holly Petitt stated. “It is a phenomenal expertise from level A to level Z so simply reside your dream.”

“In case you find it irresistible, then you possibly can completely obtain it,” Keely Petitt added. “It is such an unimaginable profession.”

Within the meantime, Keely Petitt stated she will be able to’t wait to fly together with her mother once more.

“It was simply so superior and a lot enjoyable. So I do not care the place we go or once we do it, however anytime we’d get to fly collectively once more would simply be spectacular,” she stated.