Mother-daughter pilot duo make Southwest history
(NewsNation) — Two women made history as the first mother-daughter pilot duo to fly a Southwest Airlines plane together this summer.
Southwest Airlines Capt. Holly Petitt and her daughter Keely Petitt, a Southwest Airlines first officer, flew their first flight together in July 2022.
“On Saturday, July 23, Holly and Keely Petitt flew their first Southwest flight together, on Flight #3658 from Denver, where the two are from, to St. Louis, making history for Southwest Airlines,” a Southwest Airlines news release said.
Holly described the experience flying with her daughter as “surreal.”
“I keep saying it, but just exhilarating. You have this little brand new baby you’re holding in your arms and in a blink … she’s sitting next to you on the flight deck of a Boeing 737. So it’s just it’s been a magical experience watching her progress through the stages to make it to Southwest Airlines,” Holly said.
Keely said it was her mother’s passion and love for the job that influenced her to become a pilot. She grew up admiring her mother’s work.
While she just started off her career as a pilot, Keely said she is holding off a bit before working toward becoming a captain. She said she wants to wait until her mom retires so they can continue flying together, and when the time comes, she can be the first officer on her retirement flight.