From Kenya To California: The Story Of Alex And Alan, Identical Twin Pilots At Alaska Airlines

Alex and Alan are not your ordinary pilots. They are identical twin brothers who share a passion for aviation since they were three years old. They are also believed to be the first set of identical twin pilots at Alaska Airlines, one of the largest airlines in the United States.

The brothers were born and raised in Kenya, where they developed their love for flying by going plane spotting with their dad every Sunday after church, and accompanying their mom on every business trip.

They moved to California when they were 13 years old and continued to pursue their dream of becoming pilots.

They both enrolled in flight school and worked as fuelers at different airports to gain experience and save money for their training. They also played with Microsoft Flight Simulator, a program that simulates flying a real aircraft. “After I started playing with the program, that was it. I knew I wanted to do that [fly] for a job,” said Alan.

The brothers have never flown together professionally because they have always been on different aircrafts, but they hope to change that in the future. “The goal is to have one of us upgrade to captain and be operating the same aircraft so we can fly together,” said Alex.

They also have another goal: to fly with their mom, who has never flown with one of her sons. She was instrumental in fostering their love of aviation and supporting their career choices. “We have to get her on one of our flights,” said Alex.

Alex and Alan are an inspiration to many aspiring pilots, especially those from Kenya and Africa. They have overcome many challenges and achieved their dreams through hard work, dedication and perseverance. They are also a testament to the diversity and excellence of Alaska Airlines, which employs more than 6,000 pilots from different backgrounds and experiences.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about 124,000 airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in the country in 2020, but only 3% were Black or African American. The International Society of Women Airline Pilots estimates that there are about 8,600 female airline pilots worldwide, representing 5.8% of the total pilot population.

Alex and Alan are proud of their Kenyan heritage and identity, and they hope to inspire more people from their community to pursue aviation as a career. They also want to give back to their country by supporting aviation education and training programs for young Kenyans.

“We are very grateful for the opportunities we have had in the U.S., but we also love our home country and we want to see it grow and prosper,” said Alan.

Source: Rising Africa

Email: elora.akpotosevbe@yahoo.com